Maturity is Overrated
by Kaelym
Summary: Percy returns after claimed missing. The strange thing? Percy has the mind of a 5 year old! What happened while he was away? It's all part of Kronos's evil plan to overthrow Olympus. Can Annabeth&the gang find the cure in time? Or is it too late? -HIATUS
1. Percy Sleeps With the Fishes

**Chapter 1: Percy Sleeps With the Fishes**

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The last couple of days couldn't have been any more agonizing. Not only were we almost at war against Kronos and his army, but Percy has also been missing. I took a notice in Percy's absence during meals a few days before, and my suspicion got the better of me. So a couple nights ago, I confronted Chiron about it.

"I don't know where Percy is, Annabeth. I'm sorry," was all he had said to me.

No one knew where Percy was. I started to skip meals, worried that he was never coming back. But he had to come back; he's a Seaweed Brain, after all. Last night, my half brothers and sisters started to worry about my skipping meals. I just shook my head and attempted at a smile. They knew better than to bug me about it, so they left and continued on with their camp activities. I was staring at the waves, but at some point, I made it back to my cabin and fell in a deep sleep. Little did I know, with every deep sleep comes a painful nightmare.

_I looked around me, taking in the bright lights. The place was slightly familiar, with statues of a goddess I didn't recognize. I was at the entrance, staring out into the dusty sky. A tiny speck seemed to inch closer to me. It grew bigger and bigger, until I was looking at a Pegasus. I recognized his black mane easily. It was Blackjack. But what was he doing here? What surprised me most was the green eyed rider, who stepped down and told his Pegasus to fly back to camp._

_Percy._

_Why was he here all alone? I tried to call out to him, to tell him to go back, but I couldn't find my voice. It was like I wasn't even there. I followed behind him as he started down the hall. After looking around for a couple seconds, I realized it was a temple. To which goddess, I did not know._

_After a few steps, the ground began to shake like crazy. I looked left and right quickly, trying to figure out what was happening. Then I looked at Percy's feet. His foot was poised over a thin wire, in the exact position it would be in if he had stepped through it._

_Agh! Stupid Percy! Of course he'd be the only one not to notice where a trip wire was set. I tried to move myself towards him, but my feet wouldn't budge. The statues were falling now, one by one. Percy was about to get crushed by a stone body, but luckily, he dove out of the way. But being the Seaweed Brain he is, he activated another trip wire._

_Instantly, walls in the temple opened and revealed squares of darkness. Arrows shot from the holes, nearly taking Percy's life, but he ducked and took cover under some broken statue arms and heads. The arrow storm lasted for about thirty seconds before it was quiet again. I heard Percy sigh in relief, but faster then you can say "Ah!" one last arrow flew at him, slicing a deep cut on his cheek. He yelped in surprise and clutched his wound._

_Footsteps echoed in the room. Percy looked straight ahead, right into the eyes of a woman with brown curls. I studied at the woman carefully. She was wearing a long white dress which draped over her feet. Her eyes were a startling blue._

_"Son of Poseidon," she mused. "What brings you here, to my temple?" She stepped closer to Percy, who looked like he was going to pass out from exhaustion._

_He said something real smart, like, "Uh... I dunno..."_

_I'd smack him on the head if he wasn't in such a deep situation. Percy started to waver on his feet, like he was about to fall over. The arrow wound on his cheek was turning bright red. Then it started to sizzle. Smoke curled off the opening and rolled up through the air. It was like the gash was burning him from the inside out._

_"Ah, I see you've been hit by one of my traps," she said in a distasteful voice. "There is nothing I can do for you now, boy. It is your own fault for wandering here without an invitation."_

_Percy stumbled back. "Who--are--you?" he asked slowly, like it was hard to breath._

_The woman smiled, though it didn't seem so sweet. She parted her lips, and answered in a tone that made me shiver._

_"I am Hebe, goddess of youth."_

_And that's when Percy collapsed to the floor._

I woke up with a start. My breathing sped as I tried to make sense of my dream. What was that just now? It couldn't have been real, could it? But then again, demigod dreams always seemed to be visions of some sort. Dreams were one of the things I hated most about being a demigod, right next to fighting monsters to survive. I ran a hand through my hair and rubbed the gunk out of my eyes.

My siblings were still fast asleep. I glanced at my owl clock, which read 5:36 AM. Camp would start sooner or later, so I got dressed and headed out the door quietly.

The sky was a dark gray, but I could see where I was going. I made it passed the cabins without a noise. The Big House came into view. The lights were out and I could've sword I heard snoring as I successfully tiptoed by. Then, finally, I was standing in same place I had been last night.

The water was dark with the occasional sparkle. It was beautiful. I took a seat on the cold sand and tucked my knees into my chest. I rested my head on my knees and thought about my dream.

If all of that was true, then Percy is in trouble. I bit my lip. What could Hebe possibly do to Percy to make him pass out like that? And how could he be so stupid to go out there by himself? I've saved his butt from death many times in the past. Plus, we're best friends, so why didn't he tell me? Maybe I'm being a bit too unfair to Percy. He wouldn't have gone alone unless he knew it was too dangerous. I glared into my knee. Maybe I should talk to Chiron about it when the camp wakes up.

I looked up again and saw the sky a little brighter. I sighed to myself. If Percy gets himself killed, I'll... I'll...

I hung my head in defeat. I couldn't do anything to him. Not my Seaweed Brain. I lifted myself to my feet and brushed the sand from my clothes. I was just about to turn, when I saw a lump of black lying on the sand near the retreating waves.

Very slowly, I crept up to the thing and looked it over. It was a body clothed in jeans and an orange t-shirt. The body was lying face down in the sand. His black hair swished with the wind.

No... It couldn't be...

I flipped the figure over and screamed, way too loud for my own good. I stumbled back and fell on my butt. Sitting there, I stared wide eyed at the body of my best friend.

He was just lying there. His eyes were closed and his lips had lost its color. The paleness of his skin could've fooled me into thinking he was dead. I scrambled up next to him and felt his pulse. I was scared out of my mind as I felt the faint thud against my fingertips.

"Percy!" I said as I shook him.

He didn't move.

"Seaweed Brain! You are NOT dying on me, you hear that?" I yelled at his unmoving body. Quickly, I picked him up (he was surprisingly light) and I put his arm around my shoulder. As I gripped onto his waist, I tugged both of us towards the Big House. It seemed to take forever, even though the house was in plain sight.

"CHIRON!" I screamed. My cry for help echoed in the distance. My eyes were getting watery. I finally reached the porch and pounded on the door to try to wake him up. After several kicks and shouts, the lights turned on. The door creaked open and revealed a centaur holding a brown teddy bear.

He was rubbing his eyes as he said, "Annabeth? What time is it? You should be slee--" He stopped when he saw Percy in my arms and my terrified face. "What happened?" he asked in a panic. He gestured for us to hurry and come in, then shut the door behind us.

I dragged Percy to spare room and put him on the bed. Then I slumped back in the wooden chair to side of him, exhausted.

"Annabeth, what happened to Percy?" Chiron said, his eyes full of worry.

I didn't know where to start.

"I had this weird dream about Percy, like he was in trouble. Then I went out to the beach to think. And then just now I found Percy near the water. I think he was washed up or something," I said. Everything came out like mush because I was hyperventilating.

Chiron seemed to contemplate this for a minute or two. Then he nodded briskly.

"I suppose I could call an Apollo camper to make sure he is all right," Chiron said. He looked out the window and I did the same. The camp was stirring now, moving into their morning routines.

Not five minutes later, Chiron had called in one of Apollo's sons and was letting him inside the door. I watched from my chair as he checked Percy's temperature and body.

"He has no injuries, though I think he should have a massive headache when he awakes," the camper announced.

Chiron and I breathed out relieved sighs.

"Just make sure he doesn't hit his head when he wakes up," the doctor man called as he left the Big House.

Now came the hard part: waiting. Chiron allowed me to skip my training classes for right now, since I was in no mood to fight. I stared at Percy's unmoving face for Zeus knows how long. It was weird. Weird, because in my dream, he had a huge gash under his eye, on his cheek. But now it was gone.

Maybe the water healed him. Though, I don't know how he got into the water. Unless Hebe threw him off the cliff while he was unconscious. I winced to myself.

Chiron noticed. "Annabeth, you said you had a dream?" he asked. He was looking at me cautiously, like he was afraid I'd start bursting into tears or something.

I opened my mouth to explain, but I closed it suddenly when I heard Percy stir in his sleep. Both of our eyes flashed to Percy's face.

His eyes fluttered open slowly, revealing those lovely sea green irises. The color returned to his face, thank the gods. His lips were back to its natural pale pink. Even his eyes seem to radiate energy. He stared at me for a minute in silence, like he was studying my face too. Then, he suddenly jerked upright and pressed his back against the wall. His eyes were wide as he flicked his head back and forth between me and Chiron.

"Percy? Are you all right?" Chiron asked with worry.

Percy's gaze finally rested on Chiron. Percy gasped and reached his hand out like he wanted to pet Chiron or something.

"Pony!" he squealed in delight.

Chiron and I traded an awkward glance. "Excuse me?" he said as he raised an eyebrow. But Mr. D interrupted them as he made his way down the stairs, yawning.

Percy's eyes flickered to him.

"Well if it isn't Peter Johnson," Mr. D said as he sat down and poofed up a diet coke. He pursed his lips at him. "What? What are you staring at, boy?"

Percy had his eyes on Mr. D like he was a talking flower that just sprouted from the ground. His mouth hung open in pure amazement.

Percy sniffed the grape scented air and said, "Yew--smell--gewd." His words came out slow, like he was trying hard to enunciate.

Mr. D just raised an eyebrow and flashed a look at Chiron. "Is this your doing, my dear centaur?"

Chiron coughed awkwardly and said, "No. Annabeth found him not long ago, washed up on the beach. He just woke up. Though, I find his behavior a bit peculiar..."

We all looked at Percy again. His eyes were fixed me. A boyish grin appeared on his face.

"Yur pretty," he said out loud. My face turned red.

"Okay Seaweed Brain, what's wrong with you?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

Percy reached out slowly and tried to touch a strand of my hair, but I slapped his hand away. He whimpered and looked back to Chiron and Mr. D, who were watching us with weird looks on their faces.

Percy got out of bed suddenly and stumbled to his feet. He gripped the edge of the bed for support. He took slow steps towards Chiron and made a noise of accomplishment when he reached his destination.

"Per-tty pony," Percy said. He smiled a big toothy grin as he ran his hand over Chiron's furry back.

"Uhh…" I said blankly as Chiron flinched away from Percy. Percy wailed and was going to start bawling, but then he saw me scratch my head in confusion.

The grin returned to his face as he held out both arms to me for a hug. Percy kept walking forward until he was two steps from squeezing me.

"No," I said sternly as I smacked my palm against his cheek and held him back by the face. He made a whining noise as he pushed against my hand. His outstretched arms tried desperately to get some Annabeth lovin'. I looked at Chiron and Mr. D for help. An amused expression stuck to their faces. They both looked like they were fighting to hold in laughter, but sadly for them, they were losing.

"Percy," Chiron said, his voice relaxed. "Please, sit on the bed."

When Percy didn't stop struggling against me, grape vines sprouted from the bed and pulled him in. He sat upright in the bed and tugged at the vines. Fascination lit up his face.

"Mr. D, can you see if he's gone insane or anything? I'm getting quite worried," Chiron said as he watched Percy put some blanket in his mouth and giggle.

"I suppose. How else would I spend my precious time?" Mr. D muttered as he walked to the foot of Percy's bed. Percy met his eyes, but continued to chew on the blanket.

Dionysus stared intently into Percy's eyes, his irises turning into a purple color. A minute of silence passed. Mr. D was still staring at Percy, but Percy found his pillow to be much tastier. Mr. D cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows.

"It's strange," he said, now facing me and Chiron. "There's something clouding his mind. Something that isn't insanity. And I don't know what," he muttered stubbornly.

I coughed. They all look at me, except for Percy, who was rolling around in the bed like a little kid. My brain had a thought. It was like a light bulb lighting up all of a sudden. I repeated my thoughts again. _Like a little kid..._

"Mr. D, Chiron, I had a dream last night. And it has to do with Percy," I said. Chiron nodded for me to continue.

It didn't take long to explain to them every part of my dream, but when I reached the end about Hebe, they gasped.

"The gods aren't going to like this," Mr. D said, clearly stressed. I looked at Chiron, a little worried. He seemed to notice my expression and began to explain.

"See, Annabeth, Hebe is Zeus's and Hera's daughter. If Poseidon finds out that his brother's daughter has cursed Percy, then there will be arguments. Maybe even fights. Since Hebe is a stubborn one, it is most likely she will not help us."

"Cursed? But we can reverse it, right?" I asked. My hands were shaking. If Percy was stuck like this forever, there's no telling what I'd do. "Right?" I insisted when Chiron didn't answer me.

"Annabeth...I am not so sure. Mr. D and I need to have a little private chat. You can go back to your camp activities until we call you back," Chiron said. Mr. D nodded in agreement.

"But, what about Percy?" I said miserably.

"An-nuh-bessth," Percy said slowly, trying to pronounce my name. "Annabess!" He said with a huge grin.

"Ah... I guess you will have to watch him for a little while," Chiron said. Mr. D snapped his fingers and the grape vines disintegrated in the air, freeing Percy.

I looked at Percy again. He was still grinning at me, not knowing what the heck was happening.

Sighing, I said, "Come on, Percy." Percy didn't move. I sighed again and grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the Big House.

"Pony!" he cried out as we passed by Chiron. Percy managed to tug on his tail before we left, which almost made Chiron lose his cool.

We made our way to Grover. He was looking at us weird, since Percy had been walking funny, like he didn't remember how to move his feet.

"Hi, Annabeth. Hey, Percy." Grover grinned at us. Percy caught his breath. He raised a shaking hand and touched Grover's horns. He giggled at the smoothness.

"Uh, yeah buddy. Those are my horns," Grover said. I could tell from the look on his face that he was confused.

"Percy," I said slowly. "This is Grover. Remember?"

"Gr...Grover!" He grinned.

"Listen, Grover. Uh, it's kind of hard to say this but...Something's wrong with Percy," I said nervously.

"Really now?" he said as he watched Percy pet his fur, saying "Good doggy."

Grover looked up at me with "weirded out" written all over his face.

I frowned in apology and said, "Hebe cursed him or something. I don't know everything yet. Chiron and Mr. D are discussing it right now. But they said it might anger Poseidon."

Grover looked at me in shock. "You mean _the_ Hebe? The goddess of youth, _Hebe_?" His eyes were wide. I nodded glumly.

"Annabeth, this is bad. Really bad. I think she turned him into a little kid..." his voice trailed off. He picked up again. "And by the looks of it, Percy's acting like a five year old."

I looked at him in disbelief, but a part of me already suspected that. "How could he be a five year old? He's the same fifteen year old Percy that was here before he disappeared!" Well, aside of the fact that he's totally nuts.

Grover muttered something to himself. "We have to get Thalia here. This is serious. It could be permanent." He ran a hand through his curly brown hair and led me and Percy to the Poseidon cabin.

When we entered, Grover and I walked to the fountain as Percy gaped at the sea shells on the walls.

"O goddess, please accept my offering," I said as I tossed a golden drachma into the mist. It dissolved instantly. "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus."

The iris message revealed a snoring Thalia. Her back was against a tree and her mouth was open, a trail of drool running down her mouth. She was hugging her bow like a teddy bear. Arrows were strewn across her lap.

"Thalia!" Grover said, shouting. Thalia's mouth twitched, but she continued to snore. I rolled my eyes along with Grover. You'd think being the Lieutenant of Artemis would make you more aware of things...

"THALIA!" we yelled at the same time. This time, Thalia bolted up with her bow ready, a crazed expression on her face.

"What!" Her head whipped back and forth, trying to find the enemy.

"Thalia, right here," I said. She looked in front of her and then relaxed.

"Oh, it's just you two." She sighed in relief. "Is that Percy?" Her eyebrow rose. She pointed at the boy behind us. He was on the floor on his hands and knees.

"Woof!" he said, completely oblivious to the iris message of Thalia. I smacked my hand against my forehead in embarrassment. Thalia burst out laughing.

"Is he--I mean--He's not on some new medication, is he?" Thalia said between fits of laughter.

"Thalia, he's been cursed by Hebe," Grover said sadly. Thalia stopped laughing immediately.

"WHAT? When? Where? How? Why?" She could have gone on forever, but I started to tell her about my dream. Grover listened intently, because he hasn't heard it yet.

"Ugh! Stupid boys. Always sneaking into goddess' temples," Thalia grumbled. Grover looked offended.

"Thalia, there's got to be a reason why he was there. Maybe he's been having dreams, too..." I said desperately.

"Maybe," Thalia shrugged halfheartedly. "Listen, I'll be over there as soon as I can, okay? We gotta speak to Chiron about this. Something's not right." Her eyebrows scrunched together in concern. Then she waved her hand through the message and disconnected.

With a sigh, I turned around and watched as my five year old best friend licked the cabin floor.

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	2. I Get a Quest

**Chapter 2: I Get a Quest**

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We left the Poseidon cabin twenty minutes later because Percy wanted to show us how wonderful he was at being a "fuzzy doggy" like Grover.

"Percy, I'm a satyr, not a dog," Grover sniffed, his feelings hurt. I couldn't help but think about how cute Percy was acting. He was adorable, for a five year old anyway.

When we passed the practice field, Percy wouldn't stop crying unless I held his hand because he thought the "pointy things" were scary. The campers thought it was pretty funny. I hung my head in shame as I walked through the sea of snickers and giggles. I take back what I said about him being adorable.

Grover decided it was a good idea to bring Percy to the beach, to see if he can still control water. We were at the edge of the sand when Percy started to tug away in terror.

"No! No wa-tar!" he cried out as he tried to move me by pulling on my hands.

"Come on, Percy," I said, trying to sound encouraging. I grimaced at how much I failed at that. "It's just water. Water won't hurt you!" I gently pushed him towards the water.

"Nuh-uh!" He hugged onto me tight, afraid to let go and drown in the water. It was kind of odd, since he was the son of Poseidon and all. But, oh yeah, he doesn't know that. He squeezed me tighter, scared out of his mind. I tried to pat his head to calm him down, but I had to reach up because he was taller than I was.

"Percy, water won't hurt you buddy. It'll feel great, trust me!" Grover said cheerfully as he pried Percy's arms off of me. When he did, he dragged Percy away from me and into the water. Percy started to cry as he reached his hand out to me.

"Annabess, help me," he wailed. He struggled against Grover's grip. Even though I should be mad at him for getting my name wrong, I felt... empty. I watched his panicking face as he desperately tried to reach out to me. When Grover stepped in the water with Percy, Percy cried out in terror and tried to climb onto his back to save himself. He may have nailed Grover on the face in the process. Finally, Percy's fear was all too much.

"It's okay, Percy. I'm right here," I cooed quietly as I got into the water next to him. He managed to let go of Grover and grab my arm with trembling fingers. I let him hold my hand as we stepped deeper into the water. Percy made Grover hold his other hand, which I thought was hilarious. I could tell Grover was trying real hard to be a great babysitter.

We were waist-deep by now, and Percy refused to go any deeper. He really was scared.

"Ann-bess my head hurts," Percy said pouting. I was never a mom before, let alone a babysitter. I did the clichéd thing and stretched on my toes to kiss him on top of the head.

"Does it hurt now?" I asked. He giggled.

"Right here, too!" He pointed at another spot. I kissed the exact spot and couldn't help but to smile warmly at him. All the while, Grover was pretending not to throw up.

"Hey guys!" someone shouted from the shore. We turned and found Thalia flailing her arms in the air, trying to tell us to get to shore.

"Let's go back, okay Percy?" I said in a sugar sweet voice that almost made me sick. He nodded happily and we made our way to the sand.

Once we stepped out, I noticed that Percy was dry. Grover and I were soaked from the waist down.

"I met Chiron on the way here," Thalia said nervously. "He told me to bring you three to the Big House, like, right now."

I was about to lead the way to the Big House when Percy stopped.

"Yu'er wet," he said. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and just nodded. Then he gripped my arm along with Grover's and concentrated. Or at least, looked like he was. He pursed his lips thoughtfully. I watched as the water slid right off my jeans and rolled back into the water. Grover's fur was also water-free.

Huh. Now there's no question about Percy and his powers. He could still control the water, but why was he so afraid of it? I looked at Percy again as we walked to the Big House. He looked the same as he had before he disappeared, but something was different...

Percy's eyes shifted until they were looking directly into mine. I caught my breath. There, in the green eyes of my best friend, were thin gold streaks. His left iris was like broken glass. The green was shattered in the corner, with golden lines filling in the tiny little cracks. His right iris was completely normal, a deep green just like the sea.

I looked away immediately. Why hadn't I seen that before? I bit my lip and tried to make sense of it. Gah! It sucked not knowing things. I mentally kicked myself for being scared of Percy just now. Even for a second. The gold couldn't possibly mean... Kronos, could it? I held down a shiver and continued towards the Big House.

"Ah, there you are!" Chiron chided. He greeted us individually and closed the door behind us. We sat on the couches as Mr. D and Chiron talked in hushed whispers. Percy refused to leave my side when I tried to scoot away from him.

"Well, everyone. I have informed the gods of this...er...incident," Mr. D began. "Poseidon isn't holding up so well. He's a bit--How do you kids say it these days?--_pissed off_ at Hebe. He would like to see you, Percy, but Chiron and I thought it was better if you had some time to...uhm... catch up."

Percy wasn't paying attention. He was suddenly fascinated with a lock of my hair.

"Percy?" Chiron said, clearing his throat.

"Uh?" he said, not removing his eyes from my hair. I turned to him and motioned for him to look at Chiron. He quickly obeyed without protest.

"Percy, what do you remember from last night?" Chiron said, on the verge of impatience. Percy looked at everyone in the room. I felt kind of sorry for him. He had the mind of a five year old, and I could tell how confusing it must be.

Percy's eyes wondered around the room as he thought. He pursed his lips. "A...thing. In the wat-ar..."

He drew a boat shape in the air with his fingers.

"A ship?" I asked. He nodded shortly.

Chiron seemed surprised. "A ship? Did that ship happen to be the Princess Andromeda?"

I flinched at the name. Percy was more confused than ever.

"I don't think he knows," Thalia said from the back of the room. All eyes flicked to her and back at Percy.

"Monsters... Lots of monsters... Scary," Percy shivered. I pat his shoulder gently and he seemed to relax a bit. He went on. "He...he said he is my--OW!" he yelped, clutching his left eye. Everyone jumped back in surprise. He had a terrified expression stuck on his face. He slowly removed the hand from his left eye and winced.

"Oh my gods..." I gasped. Percy looked back at me as blood trickled down his face. It leaked out of his left eye, just like bloody tears. All the while, the gold in his eye had been glowing. I had a bad feeling in my gut. If he'd been on Luke's ship... Then there's a possibility that Kronos did something to him. But what?

Chiron moved closer, along with Grover and Thalia. Percy touched his face and looked at the blood on his hands. He kept staring at it, like he was trying to figure out where it came from. I quickly got a piece of cloth from the medical room and told Percy to hold it against his face.

"Well..." Mr. D said dryly. "It seems there's a lot more that we don't know about."

"Chiron...Do you think...Do you think Kronos--" I began, but I was cut off by Percy crying out in pain. More blood oozed from his left eye. I watched, eyes wide, as the gold cracks extended, right up to his pupil. The strange thing was, his right eye was completely normal.

"Don't say his name," Chiron warned. I chewed on my lip again.

"Do you think _he_ did something to Percy?" I asked. Chiron stepped closer to me and Percy and knelt so that he was on eye level with both of us. Chiron examined Percy's eye and sucked in a sharp breath. Finally, he noticed the gold lines spreading over. Everyone else came forward and tried to look in Percy's eye, but Percy got scared and pressed his face into my shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay. They just want to check your eye," I said, pulling him off me. He stared at me warily, but nodded. When he faced Chiron again, Grover and Thalia backed away in surprise.

"Ch-Chiron!" Thalia stuttered, fear leaking through her voice. "He did! He did something to Percy!"

"We can't assume that. We don't know for sure where Percy has been after he was attacked by Hebe," Chiron said.

"B-but he's got gold in his eye!" Grover argued. We all looked back at Percy, who was playing with my fingers and giggling. His eye was all the proof we needed, but I refused to believe that sweet little Percy had evil in him.

"It could be just a side-effect from Hebe's curse," Chiron suggested. I clenched my fists tightly. Kronos was still out there, probably laughing at how clueless we are.

"Is there a way to reverse it?" Grover asked. He was pacing around the room quietly with concern for his five year old best friend.

"There is one way... No, never mind. It is too dangerous for you," Chiron said with a shaky voice. He got up and paced around the room like Grover.

"What way, Chiron? We can handle it," Thalia insisted. Her electric blue eyes shone with all seriousness.

Chiron studied our faces carefully. All he found was anticipation and confidence. And maybe a little confusion, if you count Percy."If you're all sure...Then Annabeth, since it was your dream, you will speak to the Oracle," Chiron sighed.

I got up immediately and started to walk to the stairs, but Percy whimpered and held me back.

"Percy, I'll be right back okay?" I said, patting him on the hand. He shook his head and held my hand tighter. I grimaced at Thalia and she understood what I was asking her.

"Percy," she said in a too-happy voice. "Want to ride the pony?" she asked as she gestured towards Chiron. Chiron's mouth hung open in betrayal, his eyebrows knitted together.

Percy's eyes lit up and he squealed in delight. He nodded happily and hopped towards Chiron. I walked out of the room quickly and quietly before Percy could notice my absence. I made my way up the attic, and in no time, I was staring into the eyes of the mummified girl.

Her snake-like voice rang in my ears. "I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."

I was already used to the Oracle's voice, but an involuntary chill ran up my spine. I stepped forward and asked, "What can I do to save Percy?"

The Oracle's glassy eyes shone a brilliant green. Her mouth dropped open and let out a green mist that swirled against my legs. Her voice seemed to echo against my skull as it crept inside my mind.

"_Four shall search for the sacred spring._

_The only cure, to Olympus they bring._

_But first see things are not as it seems._

_A parent must act to rid him of dreams._

_Fate makes exceptions when ignorance is bliss._

_To save a young soul, you must seal it with a kiss._"

And with that, the Oracle sucked in all the green mist. Then she was still. I stood there motionless for a minute. Then I descended down the stairs.

About a minute later, I found Percy on Chiron's back, yelling, "Wheeee!" I tried to cover my laughter with a coughing fit, but I could tell no one bought it.

"There you are, Annabeth," Chiron said. He stopped for a second, but continued to walk around the room when Percy yelled at him to go faster. I plopped down on the couch and sucked in a deep breath.

"Well? What did the Oracle say?" Mr. D said, sipping his diet Coke. It took me a moment or two to get myself together. I told them my prophecy, but I stumbled on the last line. Thalia didn't bother to hide the sick look on her face. Grover was trying hard not to giggle like a little kid. Excuse me, like Percy.

"Thal-ee-uhh," Percy called reaching his arms out to her. She stared at him like he was insane. When she didn't step closer to help Percy off of Chiron, he started crying. Thalia just tried to hold down her laughter. I could tell she was wishing for a camera right now.

"Annabesss," Percy said, sniffling. He turned and held his arms to me this time. I wanted to stand back and watch him cry a little bit more, but I figured that was a little jacked up. I walked over beside Chiron and held out my arms so I could lift him off. He slid from Chiron to the floor easily with my help.

"Good pony," Percy said as he pat Chiron's butt. Chiron pretended not to hear.

"So, the first line of the prophecy... This was what I was worried about," Chiron sighed. He cringed away when Percy tried to tug on his tail again. "You see, there is only one sacred spring in the world, and that is guarded by many horrible monsters. There is a possibility you all will die," he said sadly.

Mr. D had a hard time removing the grin from his face.

Thalia spoke up. "What's so special about this spring?"

Chiron watched as Percy made his way to Mr. D. Percy stuck his hand out to try to touch Mr. D's face, but Mr. D growled and made him whimper in fear. Instead, Percy sat on the ground next to him and sniffed him every ten seconds.

"Well, the spring can cure anything. Any disease, any illness, any curse. All you need to do is drink it, and then voila, you're cured," Chiron said.

"What's the catch?" I said wearily. Of course, there's always a catch to things like this.

"The catch? You can only drink it in Olympus, after all the gods have blessed it as a certain cure. Should you not do this before you indulge the spring water, you would slowly suffer from a painful death as acid travels through your veins," Chiron said, shrugging like it wasn't that bad.

"That's just wonderful," Grover muttered. I pursed my lips. So, if we actually got a bottle of this spring water without dying in the process, we would have to make it to Olympus...

"So, basically, the first two lines mean we need to get the spring water and make it back to Olympus without dying?" Thalia said as she clenched and unclenched the bow in her hands. Chiron nodded.

"But what about the next two lines?" Grover asked. He finally settled down onto the couch. We all thought this over for a minute.

"Well, 'a parent must act to rid him of dreams.' I have a feeling this is Percy we're talking about. Poseidon's going to take a part in this quest. We just don't know how," Mr. D explained. He popped open another can of diet Coke and sipped it with his eyebrows raised.

"Or it could be Kronos," Thalia suggested as she shrugged. Percy yelped as more blood leaked out from the corner of his eye and dripped onto the carpet.

"Oh shoot! I didn't mean to say Kronos!" Thalia yelled, trying to defend herself.

"Stop! Can't you see saying Kronos hurts him?" Grover stupidly yelled back.

"Then why'd you say Kronos, smart one!" Thalia screamed at him.

"Because I'm telling you not to say Kronos!"

"STOP SAYING KRONOS, DAMMIT!" I exploded. I covered my mouth with both hands in shock as my voice echoed throughout the house. We all looked over at Percy. He had his back to the floor and was passed out cold. Mr. D was just staring at him with bored eyes. Immediately, Thalia, Grover, and I rushed over next to Percy.

"Oh crap. You see what happens when we fight?" I grumbled. I took a cloth and cleaned the thick trail of blood from Percy's cheek.

"Sorry," Thalia and Grover murmured, guilty.

Chiron helped me take Percy to the same bed he was in this morning. When he was secure under the covers, Chiron sighed and called Mr. D over so that we could finish our meeting.

"Four people have to go on this quest," Chiron stated. Oh, and what a coincidence!

"Thalia, Grover, Percy, and me," I said. Chiron seemed troubled by this, since Percy was too young to fight. He may have the body of a fifteen year old, but that doesn't matter if he's too afraid to pick up a sword.

"Very well," Chiron finally said. "Mr. D, do you have that magical thermos you got for Christmas?"

Mr. D looked up from picking at his nails and into Chiron's eyes. "As a matter of fact, I do. But are you sure it will do them any good?"

Chiron nodded and turned to us. "The magical thermos is just like any other thermos. You will use it to take the water from the spring. Usually, in a regular bottle, once water is removed from the spring, the magic would wear off in five days. With the magical thermos, your time will be doubled. Thus, you have ten days to get the water to Olympus before it loses its magic," Chiron explained. All three of us nodded after each sentence.

Dionysus returned from his trip to the closet with a silver thermos. Without a warning, he chucked it at me like he thought I had good coordination. It hit my hand and spun in the air, finally stopping when Grover caught it. With his face.

"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his nose. Thalia went on as if nothing happened.

"Do you have any idea where the spring would be?" she asked Chiron. He rubbed his beard in thought.

"Yes. Rome," he said with a straight face. I figured he was messing with us, but he just stared back politely.

"Rome?" Grover asked. "Why Rome?"

"My dear satyr, it is quite obvious." Chiron smiled. He waited for us to say something like "Oh, of course!" or "Duh, Grover!"

We didn't.

Instead we just stood there, bewildered.

Chiron sighed in defeat. "The Trevi Fountain."

"Ohhh."

"We knew that!"

"Yeah, we were just testing you."

Chiron shook his head, but couldn't resist a smile. Mr. D sat down on a chair and fiddled through a magazine, a dull expression glued to his face.

"It won't take long from here to Rome, since you're going by airplane," Chiron said. "I spoke with your father beforehand, Thalia. He's cutting Percy some slack and won't blast him out of the sky. Or at least, not today."

"That's so nice of him," I said, trying to hide my sarcasm. Thalia swallowed a laugh.

"Ugh..." Percy groaned. All of our eyes flashed to his face. Percy's eyes were still closed, and his breaths were coming in short gasps.

"Should we wake him?" I whispered. Chiron shook his head. I returned my eyes to Percy's face.

"No… Go away," he mumbled. His words became quieter with each breath. "Don't…"

"No!" Percy shouted, stuck in his nightmare. His breathing hitched. Suddenly, Mr. D tossed aside his magazine and flew to the side of the bed.

"WAKE HIM UP!" he shouted. I jumped at his voice, but I immediately, along with everyone else in the room, started to shake Percy violently. Percy was still asleep, but he was struggling to take a breath. It was like he was being strangled by the neck...

"GET WATER!" Mr. D barked at Grover, who ran out of the room and returned a couple seconds later with a glass of clear liquid. Immediately, Mr. D hurled the glass of water--and I mean glass and everything--at Percy's face.

The water splashed over his eyes and the glass rolled to the floor and broke. The good news: Percy was now awake, but breathing heavily. The bad news: the glass cut a deep red gash on Percy's forehead.

His lower lip trembled as he looked at each of us. Then he broke out in sobs.

"Annabesssss," Percy cried. He reached his arms out to me and grabbed me in an awkward hug. I raised an eyebrow at Chiron and Mr. D as Percy sobbed into my neck. I pat his back softly.

Chiron cleared his throat. "It seems Percy has taken a liking to you," he said with a small smile.

"What was that just now, Mr. D?" Thalia asked. She took a seat on the edge of Percy's bed, right next to Grover. I looked from her to Mr. D, wondering the same thing. Mr. D wiped a little sweat off his brow and sat down.

"I was looking through his mind again, right when he passed out. It seems Percy had a nightmare. A little too real if you ask me," he said, jerking his head towards Percy's neck. I pushed Percy back from me and tilted his head with my right hand so that I could see his neck.

Sure enough, there were thick red marks all around Percy's neck. I caught my breath as I looked at them closer. They were a little purplish, and I could tell it was really painful. I reached up slowly with my left hand to touch it, but Percy gripped my wrist and pulled it away. I looked back into his eyes and found more tears.

"I saw what he was dreaming about," Mr. D said, getting my attention. "Percy over here was being choked by someone. But I couldn't see who it was. That wretched curse is clouding my vision," he spat.

I looked at Percy again and he just nodded. I lifted my hand again slowly to make sure he was okay with it. He didn't try to pull me away this time. Very gently, I felt the bruised skin with my fingertips.

He gasped in pain. I recoiled quickly and watched as a tear trickled down his cheek. Everyone crowded around us and watched Percy with caution.

Percy's left eye twitched out of nowhere. I watched in shock and amazement as the gold cracks spread farther through his iris. It was like looking at a giant earthquake take place. There were some thick lines of gold, and some thin lines which branched off into smaller and smaller lines.

Behind me, no one was breathing. I knew they all saw what I had just now.

"Kro--" Thalia growled, but Grover clamped his hand over her mouth in time.

"OW!" Grover said, clutching his hand in pain. "She bit me!"

"You made me do it," she said as her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah! Because you were just about to say Kron--OUCH!" Grover yelped. He rubbed the back of his head gingerly. I reluctantly apologized to Grover for hitting him.

Mr. D cleared his throat and stood. "One thing I did see... Percy's strangler was holding a trident."

Silence.

More silence.

Enough silence that you'd want to rip your own head off.

"Mr. D, surely you are not implying it was Poseidon's doing?" Chiron said in a worried tone. I made Percy sit back against the wall while I took out a bag of ambrosia.

"I didn't say that. It did not feel like Poseidon's presence. We'll talk about this later. Right now, you four need to get going," Mr. D said.

While they were talking, I've been trying to spoon feed ambrosia to Percy, but he'd just turn his head the other way whenever the spoon got close to his mouth. I was starting to get frustrated, until I had an idea.

"Here comes the choo-choo train!" I said as I slowly moved the spoon towards his mouth. "Choo choo!" Percy opened his mouth and ate the ambrosia, thank the gods.

He gave me a boyish grin as the cut on his forehead shrank and vanished. The red marks around his neck, however, didn't fully disappear. If you looked at it close enough, you could still make out the faint shape of two hands. We decided not to talk about it.

It didn't take us long to pack. We each had a backpack of spare clothes, ambrosia, nectar, money, and toiletries. We all brought our weapons of choice—Thalia a spear and Aegis, Grover his reed pipe, and I had my dagger. I also carried the thermos since everyone else said it was my quest. Either that or they were too lazy to lug it around. Argus was waiting for us at the car. I let Thalia and Grover go in first because Chiron told me that he needed to talk to me for a second.

Percy didn't want to leave me, and being the stubborn Seaweed Brain he is, he got his way.

"Percy do you have Riptide?" Chiron asked him. Percy was too busy staring open-mouthed at a butterfly. I dug my hands into his pockets. He kept squirming, but soon enough I pulled out a pen. I put it in Percy's hand and uncapped it for him.

"Ohhh," he said in amazement as he moved Riptide left and right in his hands. "Pretty."

"Annabeth. Please make sure he makes it through this quest. He's counting on you," Chiron said as he dodged Riptide's pointy end.

"I will," I promised. Chiron looked too worried for his own good. It's not like this is the first quest we've done.

After a wave goodbye, I made my way down the hill with Percy right behind me.

"Pony... sad?" Percy asked with a frown.

"Yes. Pony very sad," I sighed.

We were all set for the airport. It took a while to explain to Percy that Argus had many eyes, and not creatures living on him. I looked back at the shrinking sight of the camp. It would take at least an hour to get to the airport. Then it would be off to Rome. I always wanted to see the Trevi Fountain.

I stared out the window at the blur of the passing trees as we inched closer to our destination.

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**Review, please. :)**


	3. We Become Terrorists

**Chapter 3: We Become Terrorists**

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I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again, the car was parked alongside a curb. With a yawn, I watched as an airplane with _American Express_ written on the side launched into the sky. We're here.

I tried to stretch my arms out, but something heavy was pushing down on my shoulder.

"Percy, get off of me!" I growled as I shrugged him off. His face, open mouthed and drooling, slid off of me and fell forward. Just as he was about to get a mouth full of car cushion, he jerked awake. His eyes questioned me, and then gazed at my shoulder with longing.

"What's all the commotion?" Thalia's voice groaned from my right. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands as a yawn escaped from her lips.

"We're here, guys," Grover answered for me. He was seated right next to Thalia with a hand on the window. After a minute or two of fighting the urge to go back to sleep, I stumbled out of the door after them and stretched under the warm sun.

We thanked Argus as we grabbed our backpacks from the trunk. Then we started towards the main entrance.

"What's that?" Thalia asked me about six steps later. She pointed to something on my left shoulder. I turned my head and peered down as I walked. Sure enough, there was a large pool of saliva drenched in my shirt.

Percy's saliva.

I'm going to kill him.

Up ahead, Grover and Percy were taking the lead. Percy turned back and innocently smiled at me. _Too_innocently.

My hand inched toward my dagger, but I stopped myself. He _is_just a kid.

"Jeez, look at all this traffic," Thalia muttered. I looked ahead and saw the airport full of little kids holding onto their moms, old people with briefcases, and even older people rolling around a suitcase with flower designs. It was crowded, even though the airport was huge. I felt claustrophobic. Thalia stepped away from me when she saw my face turn green. The line to California trailed through many rows of zigzags. I tried to count them, but I lost my place within the first ten seconds. We went through metal detectors and passed without question. Don't ask how we got our weapons through. Let's just say Thalia has a way to persuade young and lonely employees.

Grover squeezed his way through many obstacles—couples, teenagers, and, well, very large people—as he led us down the hall. I watched the passing faces. They were lit with excitement, joy, and love. It made me feel nothing but jealousy. They don't realize they have it so easy as a mortal. They could plan trips in the summer without worrying about returning to camp to train. And they can plan dinners with their whole family—parents and everyone—for the holidays. And they can even go to movies without being attacked by some bloodthirsty monster!

My eye twitched slightly as I walked passed a couple embracing each other. Then, I stepped into a room with about fifteen people max. When I felt my claustrophobia drift away, I sighed in relaxation. There was a lady in a blue jacket with a shin-long skirt in five inch high heels standing behind a tall brown podium.

I took a wild guess. "That's the flight checker lady," I said to Grover, who was digging through his backpack for something. He pulled out four plane tickets and walked us over to the woman.

She looked up from her papers and smiled. I could tell the smile was forced, though. Her eyes radiated irritation, with a hint of annoyance.

Grover didn't seem to take a hint and handed her the tickets with a bright "Here ya go!"

"Ah, off to Rome, eh? I heard it was a wonderful place to go at this time of the year," the flight checker lady said. She paused for a bit as she counted the tickets and our group. "You have four tickets, sir. There are only three of you. Either you are missing a person, or you simply cannot count," she continued rudely, her eyes narrowing.

Grover's mouth let out a noise that told me he was offended. Thalia stepped forward and glared at the woman.

"Look, lady, there's four of us. See, I'm one. Grover's two," Thalia contended, pointing at each of us with emphasis. "Annabeth's three. And Percy's fou—" She stopped herself and spun around, three sixty degrees, as she flashed a look at every inch of the room. "Where's Percy?" Thalia demanded. She bent her neck to peer around me, like she thought he could be hiding behind me.

My blood turned ice cold. Why hadn't I realized he wasn't with us? I assumed he was in front of Grover at all times… Ugh! I'm so stupid! I knew he'd get lost in a crowd like that. It was my fault he got lost. And it's my responsibility to find him.

"I'll be right back," I said suddenly. I turned on my heel and half ran down the familiar, crowded halls. The sick feeling made itself at home as it crept into my stomach.

"Annabeth, wait!" Thalia shouted after me. I turned back for the shortest second to yell something back at her.

"Just wait for me there!"

Faces of strangers turned towards me in confusion and wonder, but I didn't care. I kept speed walking with my neck turning so much it started to hurt. My eyes were focused on an outdoor café when I walked straight into someone's back.

"Sorry, ma'am," I said politely. She was an old woman wearing a dress with the back cut dangerously low. I wiped my lips with my hands because I really didn't want the taste of old people's back hair lingering in my mouth. The old woman turned around and smiled.

"It's fine, dear," she said through her too red lipstick. That's when I noticed the crowd. It was almost like one of those things you'd see at a high school fight, where all the kids were gathered around to cheer someone on. But this was different. Everyone was talking in murmurs too low for me to hear. Someone was in the middle of the swarm, sobbing.

I pushed through clusters of people.

"Hey!" someone yelled as I stepped on his foot.

"Stupid girl!" a high pitched voice screamed.

When I broke through to the middle of the circle, I found a black haired boy sitting on the floor with his hands over his eyes.

"Percy?" I asked. I crouched and pulled his hands from his face.

"Annabess," Percy sobbed. His eyes were pooled with tears that were streaming down his cheek. It was hard to help him off the ground because he was shaking so much. He gripped my arm and showed no sign of ever letting go. "S-scary," he sniffed.

"All right people, nothing to see here. Move on!" I announced, loud enough for everyone to hear.

No one budged. My eyes shifted into a glare.

"Get the hell out of my way or I'll use the force!" I yelled.

"Whoa! You watch Star Wars, too?" some guy with glasses asked from the back.

"Right on!" another guy said with two thumbs up.

"No. This force." I held up my fist and shook it in the air threateningly.

Screams and gasps erupted as the crowd dispersed. I hurried back towards the terminal to Rome with Percy right behind me. The crowd separated from us and moved to the side, creating a wide walkway.

"Thank the gods," Grover said when he saw us. "You made it."

"See, four," Thalia finished, smug. She never liked being wrong.

The podium woman scowled at us as she handed us back the tickets after ripping a little portion off.

"Down the terminal, to your left," she scoffed. Thalia took the lead with a smile on her face. The woman was kicking aside the door holders, getting ready to close the passage since it was almost time for lift off.

I stepped forward to follow behind Grover, but Percy held me back.

"No," he said quietly.

"What?" I asked.

"Scary," he whispered, fear in his voice. "Not good."

"It's okay. Airplanes aren't scary. I'll be right here," I said as I pat his arm.

He didn't answer. He just stared straight ahead into the terminal, where the flight checker lady was waiting for us to enter. I watched as Thalia and Grover was engulfed in the dark hallway.

"Come on." I tugged him along, into the terminal. He reluctantly moved his feet forward. I figured he was just nervous, because naturally, when you're the son of Poseidon and all, you'd be afraid to be in Zeus's territory.

The light shrunk like it was being squeezed into nothing by two squares of darkness. Then a loud crash echoed as the entrance doors closed shut, sealing us in.

Percy gripped my arm tighter and steered me to the left, towards the airplane to Rome.

We were halfway down the terminal hall when I heard light taps against the floor.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Percy turned back to peer behind us. Whatever he saw made him grip my arm tighter and walk faster. A strange noise came from the back of his throat, a cross between a quiet sob and a whimper. Before I could look back to see what frightened him, he steered me to the left again quickly, where the light stretched out and touched our feet.

The same rhythm of taps followed us to the end of the terminal, but stopped once we stepped inside the plane.

"HEY GUYS! OVER HERE!" Thalia's voice called from the back of the plane. The whole plane shushed her and continued to do whatever. I spotted her in the last row of seats. There were four seats next to each other that were separated by an aisle for the flight attendant to walk through.

Thalia was seated in the spot closest to the walk lane. To her left, there were two empty seats and a sleeping Grover. His head was propped up against the window with his upturned palm holding his cheek. Percy took the seat next to Grover and patted the spot next to him as he smiled up at me.

I hesitated.

As much as I'd love to have Percy soak up my shirt with his disgusting mouth fluids, I didn't want to be shocked by Thalia. See, when Thalia falls into a deep sleep, her body goes haywire. Electricity runs through her veins, and she can't control it from blasting out of her when she's sleeping. You don't even want to know what happens if I wake her up...

Percy took my long silence as a refusal and started tearing up. I plopped down in between him and Thalia with fake enthusiasm. I'm so going to regret this.

Percy grinned and put his head on my shoulder. Oh no.

"We'll be taking off in five minutes. Five minutes everyone. Five minutes," a man's voice boomed through the intercom. I nestled back into the airplane seat and gazed straight ahead.

"How long is this flight anyways, Thalia?" I asked.

She looked up from her book and said, "Uh. I don't know, like twelve hours?" The clock on the wall indicated that it was barely noon.

I groaned and sighed. My eyes flashed to the book in her hands. "Is that book even good?"

"What, this?" she asked as she tilted the cover to me. It had a drawing of a large black library, with lightning flashing in the background. In gold letters, the title read: _Rick Riordan & the Writers: the Pencil Thief_. Thalia has a strange taste in books.

"Oh, well it's about this guy, Rick Riordan, and he finds out that his dad is Shakespeare. Yeah he's still alive, he's just in hiding. So like, Rick goes on this quest to find the stolen pencil, which is used to write inspirational things like Romeo & Juliet—" She could have continued on forever, but a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Anything to drink?" the voice asked us.

We both looked to the right. There, in the aisle next to us, was the ticket checker lady. She peered down at us from behind her glasses.

"No thanks," Thalia said bitterly, staring right into the woman's eyes.

The woman smirked at us. She looked the same as she had before: a skirt, jacket, and five inch heels. A rectangle of plastic was pinned to her jacket. It read _Hello, my name is Mildred._

No wonder she was so angry.

The only thing she was missing was her brown podium. And her fake smile. She made no effort to make her voice sound kind. "Backpacks and other large items must go in the storage." Her eyes pointed to our backpacks on the floor as she pat the compartment just above our heads.

"Uh huh," Thalia said, still staring her down. The woman walked away with an annoyed huff and went to help a passenger way in the front.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Thalia hissed in my ear as she grabbed her backpack and stood up. I was wondering the same thing. Thalia loaded our backpacks one by one quietly, trying not to wake Percy up from his cozy slumber. One day, I'm going to make him pay the price. Plus tax.

The latch to the compartment made a click as it was locked. Thalia sat back down and let out a tired breath.

"Please stay seated. We are now engaging flight, so please, sit back and relax," the man told us through the intercom. Pretty soon, the airplane was up in the sky and gliding over the puffy white clouds.

I fell asleep a couple times, only to be woken up again by a shock that jolted through my body. Darn it, Thalia. The fourth time it happened, I flinched away from her and leaned to Percy's side.

"No moving," he mumbled, his eyes halfway shut. I looked over and sighed. He seemed to sense my irritation and looked up at me, his cheek still smushed against my shoulder. I was about to give him the death glare when I heard a faint tapping noise. I watched as his eyes flash to something in front of us, then to the floor equally as quick. He cringed away from me and hugged onto Grover.

"Huh—wha," Grover moaned as he was took in the light with several blinks.

I could see Percy's body trembling. Maybe it's fear from heights…

"Scary," Percy whispered, so quiet I wasn't sure if he meant _hairy_ instead. His lips quivered as the taps became louder, closer. I turned from Grover's confused expression and met the eyes of Mildred. She was making her way down the walk aisle with an expression I couldn't identify. She looked as if she knew something we didn't.

"Would you like a snack?" Mildred asked us not so nicely. I could tell she just wanted the satisfaction of telling us no, so I shook my head and told her that she can leave us alone. When she didn't move from her standing position, I gave her a glare. But she wasn't looking at me, she was looking at Percy.

Percy's face, which a second ago was buried in Grover's arm, whipped towards Mildred with a half-scared, half-angry stare. "Go away," Percy said bravely, though his voice shook.

Grover sniffed the air in front of him, then Percy. His eyebrows wrinkled together as he tried to find something I was unaware of.

"Do you guys smell that?" Grover asked, his eyes flickering around the plane.

I ignored him and turned back towards Mildred. "Yeah, would you?" I said, annoyed with this lady. "You're kind of blocking my light." I grabbed Thalia's book and pretended to read it. Thalia continued to snore from the back of her throat.

Mildred still didn't move. I was about to tell her off, but Percy spoke up again.

"Bad. Don't belong here. Go away!" He yelled the last sentence and several people in the front looked left and right in confusion.

Mildred finally opened her mouth and said something, though her voice sounded different—in a bad way. "Oh, how rude. I always assumed you would be much more mature than this. You don't know how long I've waited for us to meet." She paused for a second to flash a wicked smile at us, evil lurking in her upturned lips. "_Son of Poseidon_."

Before I could react, her fingers—no, her _claws_—gripped the confused Percy by his shirt collar and pulled him from his seat.

"NO!" Grover gasped. "A _dracaena_!"

Mildred let out an amused laugh as she lifted a struggling Percy off his feet. The passengers probably thought it was a warm, happy kind of laugh because of the mist. And they probably thought Mildred was giving Percy a hug instead of trying to kill him. I watched in stunned horror as she threw him across the plane aisle and into a man's lap. The man yelped and pushed him to the floor. Mildred's eyes were a fiery red, which complimented her now scaly snake legs, but I didn't have time to tell her that because she charged right at me.

I looked down at Thalia's still sleeping face and an idea popped into my head. I waited for Mildred to come just a little closer…

"AHH!" Thalia screamed as I kicked her hard in the shin. A bolt of lightning shot out from Thalia's clenched fist and struck Mildred right between the eyes. Mildred let out an angry roar as she stumbled back with her hand pressed to her forehead.

"What'd you do that for?" Thalia growled at me angrily. She seemed to be unaware of the problem because she was still sleepy. I pointed to Mildred.

Thalia turned her head. "HOLY CRAP!" she shouted as Mildred raced towards us again. The woman's claws were outstretched, craving for the sensation of slicing us to pieces. Thank the gods, Thalia's a quick thinker. She turned her body so that her legs stuck out into the walk lane. As Mildred jumped at us, Thalia pulled her legs back and thrust her feet forward, kicking the dracaena in the stomach so hard, she went flying to the opposite wing. All the while, the passengers didn't even notice a thing.

Thalia stepped out of her seat and opened the compartment above us and threw the backpacks to me. I grabbed my dagger from inside and Grover pulled out his reed pipe.

"Grover, go check if Percy's okay," I told him, keeping my eyes on Mildred. Grover pushed passed me and ran to the front of the plane without a complaint.

"You sssstupid kidsss. Don't you know it'sss not nice to hit thossse older than you?" Mildred hissed as she walked towards us. She was ten feet away, but her steps faltered when Thalia unleashed Aegis. Thalia clenched the skinny black cylinder in her hands, and instantly, it extended into a five foot long spear. The point flickered with blue sparks. I raised my dagger and dashed towards Mildred alongside Thalia. Mildred broke off a wooden pole from the food cart and blocked my dagger before it could slice into her neck. Thalia thrust her spear forward again and again, but each time her spear would be knocked into another direction.

Thalia and I took turns lunging at the dracaena, but she soon got annoyed and knocked our weapons away with one quick and powerful swipe. They slid across the floor and rolled under the seats. Thalia held up Aegis in time to shield herself from Mildred's claws, but that didn't stop the force from tossing her ten feet away from me and into the window. Her head cracked against the glass and she slid down slowly before her body went limp.

"Sssay hi to Hadesss for me," Mildred snarled as her razors shot forward, aimed at my heart. I was about to shield myself with my arms, but I didn't have to. Mildred's hand froze two inches away from me. I looked up at her in shock. A spike of bronze gleamed at the center of her stomach.

"Percy?" I gasped. He was standing behind Mildred with Riptide tight in his hands. His face was filled with disgust and fear. His legs were shaking badly, along with the rest of his body. Grover arrived a second later after running down the aisle, panting.

Mildred clutched her chest as she slowly fell to her knees. "Curse you, Poseidon." She howled in pain. And just like that, her body turned to ashes that sank into the floor. Percy dropped Riptide and stumbled back uneasily. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Easy there, buddy," Grover said, picking up Percy's sword. He led him to an empty seat away from the rest of the passengers. Grover looked at me in concern. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded. "Where's Thalia?"

Oh, _crapcakes_.

Thalia! I spun around and ran to where she was thrown. I found her in the back of the plane next to a window that was slightly cracked. Thalia was struggling on the floor when I reached her.

"Thalia, are you all right?" I asked. I kneeled down in front of her as she put herself in a sitting position. She rubbed her head gingerly with a wince.

"Yeah. Fine, I guess."

I helped her up and then went to retrieve our weapons as she sat down into one of the seats. I spotted them under the feet of a little kid, right between two pairs of bulky work shoes that belonged to the kid's parents. Very casually, I pressed my stomach to the ground and crawled closer to the seats. My hand barely brushed the handle of my dagger when the little boy noticed me. I stared up at him and pressed a finger to my lips as a sign to keep quiet.

I grabbed my dagger and stretched my other arm out to grip Thalia's spear, which was now back to its original cylinder form. With both weapons in my hands, I inched back like a crippled worm and got to my feet.

"Hey, nice job," Thalia said with a grin as I handed over her spear. Grover and Percy walked towards us with worried looks on their faces.

"You girls okay?" Grover asked as he took a seat next to us. Thalia and I nodded in response. I looked over at the same kid who was watching me before. This time, his eyes were wide. They darted between each of our weapons—Riptide, Thalia's spear, my dagger, and I guess Grover's reed pipe, too—and his mouth fell open.

"Mommy! Those people over there are carrying something shiny! I want one!" he wailed at his parents. The mom and dad turned back with annoyed expressions at first, but then fear flickered across their features as they yelled and screamed.

"BOMB!" the lady shrieked as she pointed a crooked finger at us. She looked about ready to faint right then and there. About a half a second later, everyone on board was facing towards us. Screams echoed throughout the plane. It kind of sucked that the mist would do this to us. I'd rather them see me carrying a weapon than a bomb. But then again, we're screwed either way. Grover and I shared a nervous glance and backed away from the scene slowly. But the shouts for help were getting louder and louder, until a few brave people ran forward and tackled us down.

Some woman in running shoes jumped on me and pinned me down. A man about forty years old yanked Thalia's arm behind her back and pressed her to the wall, face first. Grover tripped as he was running from a madwoman carrying a heel in her hand. Percy was running in circles, crying, as a girl about the age of twelve chased him around. Then, he tripped over Grover and went tumbling down. The girl sat on his back in victory. I would've burst out laughing if it wasn't for the woman holding me down.

One by one, each of us were pulled away and forced into the airplane's supply closet.

"Get rope!" a lady barked at someone. Immediately, she was handed a roll of thick braided rope. I was forced to the ground as she tied my wrists to my ankles. Poor Percy was next. His face was wet with tears as a large man tied him up the same way I was. Thalia and Grover weren't spared. We all were tied, wrists to our ankles with our butts to the floor and backs against the wall. The door to the closet shut on us and locked with a click. Outside, we could hear all the people on the plane cheering in joy.

"Well this sucks," Thalia grumbled. Indeed, it did. The dim light illuminated all of our faces slightly. Thalia was scowling at a six pack of toilet paper—extra soft, I might add. Grover was trying hard not to tear up. Percy was shaking his head back and forth slowly. We tried to tug free from the ropes, but realized it was a lost cause since it was about an inch thick. We couldn't use our weapons because they had flown out of our hands when we were attacked.

"We can't get out of the ropes," Grover said miserably. No kidding, Sherlock.

"Even if we did, there's no way we could get out of the plane without being tackled again," I muttered. Percy started to cry, but there was nothing we could do but tell him that everything was going to be okay. But that was a lie. It wasn't going to be okay. We were going to jail, and we'll never make it to the fountain. We all sulked in our own personal dark corner for Zeus knows how long. Literally. He's probably watching us right now with a shameful expression on his face. Gee, Zeus. Send us some help, why don't you?

"What time is it?" I asked them. Percy had fallen asleep not too long ago, and Thalia was on the way. Grover was trying to play his reed pipe, but his hands were down too low.

"I don't know. Before we got tackled, it was like, seven PM," Thalia mumbled. I couldn't ask her anything else because she began to snooze quietly. I envied her for being able to sleep in a position as uncomfortable as this.

So, we were locked in here for about thirty minutes. Then it must be about seven thirty. I sighed to myself. It would take at least another five or six hours before we reached Rome.

"Hey Grover?" I called quietly. His head perked up.

"Yeah?"

"So does Hebe only change people mentally or what?" I asked. I've been thinking about this for a while. I didn't know much about Hebe, since she's a minor god and all. Grover chewed on his lip nervously.

"No. Normally, their bodies would undergo a change, too. But in Percy's case, that didn't happen," he said. He stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts. I waited patiently. "I think it has something to do with him being the son of one of the Big Three. Normally, half-bloods, or anyone for that matter, would change fully—mind, body, everything. Since Percy's a lot stronger than a regular half blood…" Grover's voice trailed off because he knew I've figured it out already. So Hebe's powers weren't strong enough to fully change him. Thus, making his mind the only thing that's immature.

"So how come you couldn't smell the dracaena?" I asked. After all, we almost got killed.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just that there are too many humans in a small space. The scent blends in."

I nodded to tell him it's okay and tried to go to sleep. My body was exhausted. I felt kind of relieved that Percy wouldn't be drooling on me anymore. And Thalia was in the other corner, so I don't have to worry about being blasted to dust.

I rested my head on my knees and closed my eyes. All I saw was Percy's face. His black hair was in the same messy style, just like always. His lips curved in a happy grin, like the way they would when he was up to something devious. Oh, but his eyes. They didn't fit. They didn't belong. His eyes stared back at me with the same gold flecks. They haunted me. They teased me. _Give me the old Percy back_, I wanted to say. _Give him back to me_. His left eye was broken beyond repair. The golden lines stretched out even further. Like green ice cracking, his iris was covered in glowing scars. Scars that could possibly be permanent. Scars that would haunt me for the rest of my life. As if it was too much to handle, the green collapsed. It was like walking over a frozen lake. You make one wrong move, and the next thing you know, you're crashing through thin ice. That's exactly what it looked like. The green in his eyes, the thin broken ice, collapsed and was flooded with nothing but gold.

My body jerked awake, my eyes wide in fear. I realized I was hyperventilating and tried my hardest to calm myself down.

"Well, well. Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," Thalia's voice said. I looked up to see her in the same corner she had been in since we were forced in here. I could barely see the smirk on her lips as I looked around the closet. We were all still here, in a small supply closet, and in the dark.

"What time is it?" I said groggily. I blinked real hard because I couldn't use my hands to rub my eyes.

"I don't know," Grover voice said. "But we heard them talking about us."

"Yeah," Thalia began. "They said we were almost at France…"

"France? I thought this plane was to Rome?" I asked, confused. I'm pretty sure we bought tickets to Rome.

"Yeah. They said they were going to hand us over to the police at France."

"Why in Hades are they doing that?" They might as well take us to Rome. Damn it all.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because the passengers don't feel safe with us on board," Thalia answered with a shrug. I nodded to say "Maybe," and stared down at my wrists. They were getting red and itchy from the ropes, which was kind of gross to look at. All of us fell silent for a couple minutes, feeling the plane land on solid ground.

"My butt is starting to cramp," Thalia groaned miserably.

An awkward silence.

"Who is Pink Dragon?" Percy asked suddenly. We all looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Pink Dragon?" Thalia asked, bewildered.

"Yes," Percy said.

Was he serious? He can't be serious…

"Pink Dragon?" Grover echoed. "Who the heck is that?"

Percy shrugged. He looked as confused as we were. I mulled over this for a moment. What sounds like Pink Dragon? Uh… Link Braggin'… Tink Blagon…

"Wait. Do you mean Poseidon?" I questioned. Percy needs to get his ears cleaned.

"Um… Yes." He nodded. I flashed a look at Thalia and Grover, who returned the gaze. Should we tell him? I mean, he's just a kid… And the more he knows, the stronger his scent becomes.

"Poseidon's your father, Percy. God of the seas," Thalia explained.

"No…" he said, still confused. He said it like anyone would say "you're wrong."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Thalia demanded. Her eyebrows crinkled together.

"No," he repeated in a disagreeing tone. He shook his head, his eyes serious.

Before any of us could question him further, the closet door swung open, revealing four buff looking men in uniform. I assumed they were airport security. The passengers watched as the four of us were lifted to our feet and maneuvered out of the door. Thalia struggled against one of the men and began shouting curses in ancient Greek. More cheers erupted behind us and echoed down the hall of the exit terminal as we were pushed out of their view. We all looked up ahead of us, towards the dark figures.

Ten adults that were dressed in police uniforms stood at the end of the exit, waiting to greet us with handcuffs.


	4. 2 Half Bloods 1 Jail Cell

**Chapter 4: 2 Half-Bloods 1 Jail Cell**

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Ever since we landed in France, our day just seemed to suck more than ever. Besides the fact that we were going to jail in the beautiful city of Paris, the car ride was _bad_. No, scratch that, it was more than bad. It was downright terrible_._ What, with the awkward silences and Thalia's dirty use of the Ancient Greek language, it seemed like torture.

The police car we were seated in was being followed by four others. Our driver hummed to himself as his partner fiddled with the radio. We were making our way through a long empty road with trees on either side of us. They didn't look like trees, though. At this time of night, they looked more like creatures laughing at us.

"This is ridiculous!" Thalia shouted. She fought against the metal handcuffs that restrained her. Thank the gods, Grover had been seated between us. He was shaking in fear from Thalia's berserk actions and tried to scoot away from her as much as possible.

"_Se taire! Vous parlez trop_," the driver said with a growl. His curly moustache twitched with irritation. Thalia was quiet for a scary second, and then she leaned over and peered at me. She knew I had learned French a couple years back. Grover stared straight ahead and chewed on his lip, trying to ignore the growing tension.

"Did he just call me stupid?" Thalia asked. I looked out the window to hide from her deadly stare. Percy was seated next to me, studying his shoes without a sound.

The sky turned dangerously dark, and that's saying a lot because the car clock indicated that it was almost ten PM.

"No. I think he told you to shut up. And something about talking too much…" I answered cautiously. My French was still rusty, but the translation seemed to tick her off anyways.

Lightning flashed ahead of us and struck down a small tree. The policemen made amused sounds, but continued on. I glanced over at Thalia again as the car drove under a line of street lamps. She was smiling, and her expression looked absolutely murderous.

"Thalia, calm down!" Grover cried out as the dark sky flickered with glowing bolts of lightning. He looked like we were about to drive off a cliff or something. Of course, that would be much better than the current situation we were in.

Thalia didn't stop. The sky erupted with loud booms that rumbled the insides of the car. To my left, Percy was trembling so hard, he made my own body shake, too.

"Thalia, stop!" I pleaded. "You're scaring Percy!" To further my point, Percy started to sob. Tears ran down his face and spotted his shirt with large wet dots.

"Yeah, and me too!" Grover added with a whimper. I would have leaned over and shook Thalia by the shoulders if it wasn't for the handcuffs holding my wrists behind my back.

"Sorry," Thalia said with a sinister smile. "Just wait. When I say so, follow my lead all right?"

We all looked at her like she had just spoken in some alien language. Even Percy seemed confused at her words, but that was okay because he had stopped crying. I would have sat there all day, staring at Thalia with a dumb look glued to my face, but then something happened.

Lightning struck down from the sky and stabbed right into the car's tire. Actually, all the tires were blown out. We spun off the street out of control, and all the while the policemen were screaming like idiots—with the exception of us, of course. The driver slammed down on the brakes, but it did nothing except make a loud screeching noise, like claws against a chalkboard.

The four of us flew out of our seats and our faces went smack into the separation gate. Curse them for not putting the seatbelts on us. I mean, what did they think? That we would do it ourselves? Yeah, sure. Just take the handcuffs off of me, would you?

I whipped my head back and noticed that the other four police cars had blown up tires also. They were off to the side of the road, still dizzy from the impact. I was just about to ask everyone if they were all right, when Thalia started mumbling something.

"Ready…" She whispered.

"What?" I asked her.

"Set…"

"WAIT, _WHAT_?"

"Go!" Thalia yelled. She kicked open the ruined door and jumped outside, onto the street. I stared at her in shock as she frantically motioned for us to come out. Grover bleated in fear, but he stumbled out of the car when Thalia started yelling. I came out after him, thinking Thalia had been hit too hard in the head. Either that or she had a large bowl of crazy flakes for breakfast. Percy took the longest because he didn't know what was happening.

And I think he wet himself.

I don't even want to know.

"RUN!" Thalia shouted. She turned on her feet, and sprinted towards the opposite side of the road. We all ran after her in a crooked line. Thalia was in the lead, followed by Grover right on her heels. Then it was me, and then Percy trailing last.

Our driver yelled at us to stop in French, but we kept on running like our lives depended on it. Well, it did, but you get what I mean.

Thalia turned her head and shouted, "You'll never take me alive, Coppers!"

Things like this make me wonder if this wasn't the first time Thalia's been in the back of a police car.

My stomach felt weird. It was a mix of fear, worry, and… adrenaline? I felt like a real criminal, running away from the crime scene. The cops were way behind us, screaming at us in French. I almost laughed in excitement along with Thalia, but then something stupid happened.

We barely reached the end of the road—so close to the trees—when Thalia tripped on something. It was like one of those lame movie scenes, where the girl is running from the killer and she trips on her own feet and gets killed. Grover and I stopped in time to avoid running her over, but Percy, being the slow Seaweed Brain he is, ran right into us and knocked us all to the ground.

All four of us tried to get up at the same time, and that was our mistake. In less than two seconds, we were all jumbled together like a Twister game gone wrong. Our handcuffs, arms, and even hair was tangled together, so whenever any of us tried to get up, the other would just pull us back down.

Thalia screamed in frustration. "WHAT THE HADES DID I TRIP ON?" She thrashed everywhere, trying to get up. My hair was caught in the chains of her handcuffs, and every movement nearly plucked it all off.

"Thalia, you're going to pull my hair out!" I shouted at her as I was pulled across the dirt.

"You're going to crack my arm!" Grover cried.

Behind me, Percy let out a muffled whine. I think I had his hair in my mouth. I couldn't be sure because I had to roll over in order to keep my wrist intact.

At this point, we were all in pain. I was on my stomach with my hair stuck to Thalia's handcuffs and a hand through Percy's handcuffs. Grover's feet were to the left of my face and his hands were tangled with Thalia's legs. Thalia was to the right of me with her combat boots crushing my other hand. Percy was lying in the most comfortable position compared to all of us. He had his back over our bodies and was probably gazing at the stars peacefully. That is, until the cops reached us.

"_Arrête, tu voyous!"_ the driver of our car yelled. He and his buddies crowded around us in a circle. They all were panting like the twenty second run was twenty miles.

A policewoman stepped forward and started to untangle us carefully. It took forever because none of us would stop squirming, but finally, we were all free. I was pretty sure Thalia would've made a run for it again, but then a large man with a thick moustache held her back. The other police officers grabbed onto us. We tried to break free of their grip, but they had hands like iron.

My shoulders slumped when I knew I couldn't escape. The policemen were talking amongst themselves, but I didn't bother to listen. Instead, I stared at the ground miserably as they dragged us back to the street. I noticed a small circular thing on the dirt and leaned down for a closer look.

"THE HELL? I TRIPPED ON A SNAIL?" Thalia yelled, noticing the little creature with a crushed shell.

Oh, man, was she mad...

"A _SNAIL_?" Thalia repeated, roaring even louder. "COME HERE, LITTLE GUY. I WON'T HURT YOU. JUST MAYBE TURN YOU INTO A NICE PLATE OF _ES CARGO_!" She trashed against the policeman. He flinched from the dangerous edge in her voice, but that didn't stop him from hauling her away. Grover, Percy, and I shied away from her and cowered together in fear.

She was still shouting when a new police car showed up to take us away. After we were loaded inside, Thalia shrunk back in her seat and let out an angry sigh. Our new driver said something into his walkie-talkie and then proceeded to pull back onto the road. I peered behind us and watched the snail make its way across the street.

Poor little snail…

Then a bolt of lightning flickered down from the sky and blasted it to bits. The flesh exploded and was scattered all over the street.

Poor little dead snail…

Thalia giggled evilly to herself. "Heheheh…"

Like I said, the car ride was terrible.

But then came the time for our mug shots.

I'd love to say that we were professionals and acted like we did this stuff every day, but then I'd be lying. At least there were some guards here that spoke English, too.

Well, maybe that was a bad thing.

"Stop slouching," the camera man barked at Thalia. She was the first to go, and right now, she looked about ready to bust some heads. I gave her a look that made her straighten up without zapping anyone.

Thalia was holding a rectangle sign that said "Paris Police Department" on the top, and "Grace" right under it.

The rest of us were handed the same signs, except it had _our_ last names on it. I thought that was kind of odd, considering the fact that I didn't tell them anything about me.

_Click!_

"Now turn to your left," the camera man ordered.

Thalia turned left, her fists shaking from her need to punch someone.

_Click!_

"Now to your right," he said.

She growled at the camera, but listened.

_Click!_

"Next!" the camera guy called.

Pretty soon, all of us were finished with the pictures. I'm pretty sure I had the worst, since I sneezed right when they snapped the center picture. But then again, Percy was getting the camera man frustrated because he wouldn't stop crying.

Percy sniffled miserably. He wiped his eyes over and over again as a desperate attempt to stop his tears. The camera clicked three times. Left side, center, and right side.

Right when Percy joined us back in the corner, a group of jail guards grabbed us by the arm and escorted us into our cells. Though, "forced" is a more accurate word. And yes, cells, as in more than one. The jail people thought it would be better if they separated the boys from the girls.

That meant I was stuck with Thalia, just like Grover was forced to share a cell with Percy.

Poor Grover.

"Enjoy your stay," one of the guards said, smirking. He closed the gate on Thalia and me and locked it. We all watched him walk down the hall and take a left. I heard the exit door slam shut, along with another series of clicks that belonged to more locks.

I gripped the jail bars and studied the room. Well, room would be the wrong word. It was more like a long hall way with little cells on either side. Thalia and I were in a cell somewhere in the middle, and Grover and Percy were right across from us.

Their cell looked like it could fit about five people max, which was really small. The only thing inside our cells was a small bench that seated about three people.

Grover waved half-heartedly at us from the cell in front of us.

"Curse them," Thalia grumbled. "Making us stay in a place like this. Pah! I should blast them all the way to Hades for this."

I raised an eyebrow at her, only because of how much she sounded like her father, Zeus. Thalia took a seat on the bench and let out a tired sigh.

"We'll find a way out," I assured her as I sat down next to her.

She muttered something I couldn't understand and leaned her head back against the wall. I looked over into Grover and Percy's cell. Grover was sitting on the floor while Percy was sleeping on the bench. His legs were hanging off the edge, along with some of his black hair.

"Grover, how are you holding up?" I called, loud enough for him to hear, but quiet enough to leave Percy undisturbed. He flashed me a look of misery.

"Fine. But how are we getting out of here?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

I opened my mouth to suggest a brilliant plan, but then I realized I didn't have one. I stared back at Grover awkwardly. Most of the time, I was the one to think everything, and now since I have nothing, we're pretty much screwed.

"Well," Thalia said, slapping her hands to her thighs. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted. So if you'll excuse me…" She got up from the bench and sat down on the floor angrily.

I chewed on my lip for a second as I looked from Thalia to Grover. "She's right, Grover. Why don't we all get some sleep? I'll have a plan by the time we wake up," I said, trying to sound confident.

I don't think I fooled him, but he nodded and closed his eyes anyways. Quietly, I walked over to Thalia and sat down next to her. She was staring at her hands with a blank expression on her face.

"Hey… You okay?" I asked quietly. Thalia continued to stare at her fingers in silence for another minute or two. She sighed and then flattened her palms on the ground.

"Lady Artemis needed my help. It was right after you Iris messaged me about Percy," Thalia began, her voice as quiet as a whisper. "I was supposed to accompany her on a hunt, but then I told her about my situation. Artemis didn't approve of me choosing a boy over her." Her voice was full of pain. "And so we argued. Percy's my friend and I wasn't about to let him be cursed forever. So I snuck away from my sisters and made it to Camp Half-Blood as fast as I could." She clenched her hands tight before relaxing them again.

I stared at the ground as she finished. She made me feel guilty, like it was my fault Artemis was mad at her. I didn't know what to say besides, "I'm sorry."

After a minute, Thalia looked at me and tried to smile. "It's okay," she assured me.

Both of us continued to stare at the floor. Inside the cell across from us, Grover was already snoring happily on the floor. On the bench next to him, Percy was producing the world's largest puddle of drool. It's amazing how fast boys can sleep after failing to run from the police.

I decided the break the silence. "So… What do you think the prophecy means?"

The question didn't seem to take her off guard. It was like she was already thinking about it. She imitated the same hushed whisper of mine. "Well, the first line… 'Four shall search for the sacred spring.' Right now, we're searching for it. And then… 'The only cure, to Olympus they bring.' Like Chiron said, we need to bring it to Olympus," she said with a smart look on her face.

I nodded at her.

"And then… 'But first see things are not as it seems.' That's pretty much saying something unexpected will happen?" Thalia suggested.

"Maybe. But what about the fourth line? 'A parent must act to rid him of dreams.' Mr. D said something about the parent being Poseidon, right?" I asked warily. "But what if he's wrong?" I chewed on my lip again as I thought to myself.

"Maybe…" Thalia started, but her voice faltered. She tried again. "Maybe it means that…"

"What?" I asked, urging her to finish. She looked at me with fearful eyes.

"Maybe it means that Poseidon will kill Percy. Because you can't have dreams if you're… dead."

I looked at her in shock. It made perfect sense, but that isn't like Poseidon. "Poseidon would never try to hurt Percy, Thalia," I insisted.

Her eyes were full of disbelief.

"But what about the dream that Percy had? The one where Mr. D told us that Percy was being strangled by someone with a _trident_. A trident, Annabeth!" she argued back.

As much as I wanted to believe her… As much as I wanted to hate my mother's enemy, I just couldn't believe it. I just knew, somewhere deep in my gut, that Poseidon is innocent.

"I guess you could be right. But we can't assume that," I mumbled. Thalia seemed to sense the worry in my voice. She spoke again, her voice gentler.

"The fifth line, 'Fate makes exceptions when ignorance is bliss.' What do you think?"

I picked at my fingernails uneasily. "Ignorance is bliss means, like, the less you know about something, the better—meaning, what you don't know won't hurt you," I explained.

"So basically," Thalia began, "it's saying that it's better to know than not knowing?"

"Confusing, but yes," I agreed, nodding again.

"But what is it that we don't know?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Um. No pun intended."

"Uh huh," she said sarcastically. "So… The last line…"

I turned my head to her when she started giggling.

"'To save a young soul, you must seal it with a kiss,'" she said weirdly, trying to hide her smile and giggles at the same time. "I wonder who that lucky young soul will be."

"Real mature, Thalia." I rolled my eyes at her, but I couldn't stop my blushing.

"Oh, _please_. You like Percy," she said. She sounded so sure, she almost had me convinced. But luckily, I was still sane.

"I do not!" I nearly shouted. I shut my mouth tight as my eyes flashed to Percy and Grover. Their faces twitched, but then they continued to drool and snore. "I mean, he's a good friend and all…" I said lamely.

"No, I mean you _like_, like Percy," Thalia teased, wiggling her eyebrows up and down at me. My face turned bright red. She looked almost smug, like embarrassing me was her life long dream.

"I—You—I mean—Gods, Thalia! What do you want from me!" I demanded with a frown.

She threw her head back and let out a soft laugh that sounded like music. I had to admit, it was good seeing her smile in such a gloomy place like this.

"I want you to admit your feelings for Percy," she said with a grin.

I looked at her with my mouth hanging wide open. I let out a noise that sounded something like, "Whaaaaaahttt…"

"You heard me," she said. If she grinned any wider, she would probably sprain her mouth muscles.

"You're unbelievable," I muttered. I hung my head and stared at my fingers.

Do I really… _like_ Percy? He's a Seaweed Brain for Zeus's sake! I mean, he's real sweet sometimes… But sometimes I just can't stand him! Ugh. Why are boys so confusing?

Thalia took me by surprise when she put an arm over my shoulder. I looked up at her in confusion. Her electric blue eyes were full of understanding.

"It's okay, Annabeth," she murmured quietly. And just when I thought she was going to say something real deep and emotional, she whispered in my ear, "You're in denial."

Then she patted my arm and leaned back against the wall.

I groaned at her. I figured trying to reason with her would be a waste of time, so I just rested my head back and frowned to myself.

About thirty minutes later, I was still wide awake. Thalia had moved herself so that she had her head in my lap as a pillow. I studied Thalia's sleeping face. She looked even prettier when she was sleeping—only because she didn't have an evil scowl on her face, and that she wasn't shouting out vicious words that I should never speak of. She had the same glow that every Huntress had. She was fifteen forever, and I was jealous of that. I would grow old, with wrinkles and gray hair.

I looked over at Percy. He looked a lot more childish when he was asleep. His unruly black hair covered his eyes and pointed to all sorts of directions. I continued to stare at him, up to the point where he started mumbling something. Or at least, I think he was.

His mouth was trembling in the slightest way. "Go away…" I think he said. Suddenly, his hands clutched at his throat, like he was trying to pry something loose. He thrashed against nothing for a second, and then he fell off the bench. "Help—me!" he cried to no one.

Styx! "THALIA! WAKE UP!" I shouted in her face. She didn't budge. "THALIA. THALIA. THALIA. THALIA. THALIA. THALIA. THALIA. THALIA!"

Percy began to choke on nothing. He was gasping for air, but the air would not come to him.

"GROVER!" I screamed. Thank the gods, Grover woke up, startled, but he saw what was happening. I watched in terror as Percy tried desperately to take a breath. Grover leaped right over Percy and started shaking him like a madman.

It wasn't working, though. Pretty soon, Percy would lose air and his lungs would fail. There was no water to wake him up, nothing we could throw at him.

But suddenly, I had an idea.

"Grover! Slap him!"

"You want me to _what_?" he shouted back, seriously confused.

"Just do it!" I yelled, nearly chewing my whole lip off. My hands covered my mouth in fear and worry as Grover raised his hand and brought it across Percy's face.

_SMACK!_

"Owwie!" Percy cried out. He pouted as he rubbed his left cheek, which was now as red as tomatoes.

"Thank the gods!" Grover sighed in relief. He tackled Percy in a hug and I wish I could've done the same.

"What happened, Percy?" I called out. Grover released Percy, their eyes flickering to Thalia's sleeping body, and then to me. Percy's eyes were full of tears that threatened to leak down his face.

"Daddy said to go to… Mon—Montpeller—Montpellier," he said with a sniffle. "Safe."

"Montpellier?" Grover repeated, bewildered.

"Why Montpellier?" I asked him.

Percy wouldn't meet my eyes. He stared at the ground and repeated himself. "Safe."

It was quiet for a minute, due to the extreme confusion.

"What happened in your dream, Percy?" Grover asked slowly. Percy continued to stare at the floor of the jail cell.

"Can't breath. Won't let me. Wants me to die," he answered, his voice trembling. He sounded so scared, it almost brought tears to my eyes.

"_Who_ wants you to die, Percy?"

Percy gripped his forearm nervously.

"Percy, look at me," I urged.

After a couple seconds of hesitation, he complied.

"Who wants you to die?" I repeated. Percy's eyes were full of fear, his whole body quivering despite Grover's attempts to calm him down.

Percy barely opened his mouth to say the name—the name that made a chill run up my spine, the name that made me choke on my own air.

"Poseidon."

Grover's eyes widened. "_Poseidon_? No way, Percy…"

Percy didn't answer. He kept his gaze on the floor and sniffled.

"Grover…" I said quietly. "Maybe it _is_ Poseidon. 'Cause Thalia said—"

"What!" Thalia gasped as she bolted straight up. Her head whipped back and forth, her eyes wide.

"Oh, _now_ you wake up," I muttered under my breath. Thalia's gaze flashed to me. Her expression made me shrink back a little bit.

"What happened?" she asked, looking from me to Percy.

"Poseidon sent him a dream message…" Grover said, his voice trailing off.

But Thalia kept her eyes on Percy. "Percy?" she called. She walked up to the jail bars and gripped them tightly as she peered over at him. I got up and wiped my hands on my shirt.

"Daddy sent me message in dream," he mumbled. He rubbed at the tears that fell from his eyes.

Thalia nodded slowly and walked towards me. With her back to Percy and Grover, she spoke quietly into my ear. "Something's not right."

And with that, she passed me and sat down on the bench.

I stood in silence. Thalia was right. Poseidon would never try to kill Percy. For one thing, there's no reason to, besides the fact that he's the one of the prophecy. And even with that reason, it wouldn't make sense. Poseidon wouldn't dare…

But Percy wouldn't lie about his dream, would he?

Running a hand through my hair, I walked over to Thalia and plopped down next to her.

"Thalia…" I whispered, cupping a hand to her ear so Grover couldn't hear. "What if… What if we don't make it to the spring? This is my quest, and… What if I fail?"

Thalia looked at me straight in the eye. "Don't worry about it, Annabeth. You'll save him—even if it kills you," she said with a smile. I stared right back at her. She was right, of course. I would do anything to save him, even if that meant getting killed in the process. Her words were serious, and there was no doubt that she believed in my abilities. My lips stretched into a grin.

"Thanks, Thalia." I gave her a big hug, and after a shocked second, she hugged me back.

"Hey… Annabeth?" she asked when I pulled away.

"Yeah?"

"Did you give the guards our last names…?"

That was a random question. "I was wondering the same thing," I told her with an eyebrow raised.

Her eyes widened.

"Styx!" Thalia cursed. She turned her head to Grover. "GROVER! We've got to get out of here!"

Grover looked up at us, his hand still rubbing Percy's back in comfort. _What?_ he mouthed.

"We need to go! This is—" Thalia was cut off by the sound of locks being opened. Her head turned slowly to the entrance of the cell room.

A guard about six feet tall with a black and white uniform in need of some serious shaving stepped into the room. All of us were quiet as he walked over to us, his boots thudding into the ground.

He peered at each of us from behind his black shades. His mouth formed a crooked grin before he spoke to us in a chilling tone.

"You have a visitor."


	5. Obama Bails Us Out

**Chapter 5: Obama Bails Us Out**

* * *

A man in a black suit with a blue and white striped tie stepped into our view. He held a briefcase in one hand, with his other hand in his pocket. Behind him were five buff bodyguards that looked kind of scary with their arms crossed all tough-like. But the man's face—I would recognize that face anywhere.

"P-President Obama?" I gasped, my eyes widening. Grover looked about ready to faint. I could tell the inner fanboy in him wanted so badly to get an autograph. And maybe a picture, if he's lucky. Percy stared at him all weird, like he was just asked to get on a table and dance. Right next to me, Thalia's mouth was wide open in shock. Her fingers twitch ever so slightly.

President Obama—or dare I say Barack—smiled at us and then turned his eyes to the jail guard. "You may leave now," he said, though it sounded more like a command. The power in his voice made it almost scary to refuse, so the jail guard took his leave without another word.

"Mr. President-Sir," Grover stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Mister Underwood," he greeted, his eyes meeting Grover's for a few seconds before turning to Thalia and me.

"How do you know my—" Grover started, but he was interrupted by a body guard's growl.

"Ah, Miss Grace and Miss Chase," he said with a smile.

Now, in some situations I would be more than glad that the President knew my name, but at this moment, it was just plain weird.

Obama took a step towards us. Thalia and I retreated a few steps in return. I looked over at Thalia to see her eyes narrow at the President.

"Who are you?" Thalia asked through her teeth. The bodyguards cracked their knuckles in warning, but Obama silenced them with a hand. There's no way he could have known our names, unless he saw them on our mug shots. But then again, there's always one possibility…

"You're a demigod," I stated, though I was partly guessing.

"Right you are, Annabeth," he said, clapping his hands together. I flinched when he said my name, even though I knew he wouldn't hurt any of us.

"Who is your godly parent?" Grover asked, his voice small. Percy hugged onto Grover to try to make him relax, which I thought was just adorable.

"S'oh-kay, Gravy," Percy said. He patted him on the head and returned to his seat on the bench. Grover stayed there on the floor, clearly disliking his new name.

"Is it not obvious enough?" Obama asked, his eyebrow curving upwards.

None of us answered. I could've sworn I heard crickets chirping. Obama's godly parent… I knew this.

"You're a son of Athena," I declared. His bodyguards sneered at me. They reminded me of Clarisse, only they were much older and scarier looking. "And your bodyguards—they're sons of Ares," I said, my eyes shifting from their smirks to Obama's smile.

"Right again," he cheered, holding up an index finger. "A clever one, you. Definitely a daughter of Athena. That makes you my half-sister," he said proudly.

"Yeah, so, what exactly are you doing here?" Thalia grumbled. I elbowed her lightly in the stomach for the harsh tone in her voice.

"Well, daughter of Zeus, I am here as a request from Athena herself. She needed you out of jail, to finish your… quest to help this young one," Obama explained. His eyes turned to Percy, and I could've sworn I saw disgust flicker in his eyes. "Ah, yes. Perseus Jackson," he said, his index finger tapping his lips in thought.

Percy shifted in his seat uneasily.

"Son of Poseidon," he continued, stepping closer to Percy's cell. He tried to hide the acid in his voice, but some of it leaked through. Percy shook his head desperately, cowering away from him in fear.

"President Obama," Grover said nervously as he stood up. "How exactly are you going to get us out of here?" he asked, shielding Percy with his body.

Obama stopped his approach and dug through his coat pocket. He pulled out a thick ring of shiny keys.

"With these, of course," Obama answered, jiggling the keys in the air. Grover looked surprised, just like the rest of us.

"But that's illegal," Grover warned as the President stepped towards the gate lock and took it in his hands.

"Oh, pish-posh, Grover!" He made a childish gesture with his hands in exasperation. "I'm the President, remember?"

"Right…" Grover muttered as Obama began fitting keys into the lock.

"Mom sent you here?" I asked, confused. Why would Athena send him to us, knowing she'd be helping—in her own words—Poseidon's "sea spawn"? Obama continued to try each key, until the tenth one finally worked. He pulled the padlock out and tossed it on the floor. Grover and Percy didn't move from the bench when the jail bars were pushed to the side, freeing them.

Obama turned to my cell and started to unlock it. "Yes, she did. She said something is waiting for you at the pier of Montpellier," he said. He tossed our cell's padlock to the side and opened our gate.

Montpellier… That's where Percy said we needed to go. It could've been a coincidence. But what could be at Montpellier?

Thalia stepped out of the cell and stared right into the President's eyes. "We need to get out of here. It's not safe," she said.

Obama stared right back. "I know. That jail guard was a monster. There's a pack of hellhounds guarding the entrance, but of course, the mortals would just see them as regular dogs."

"Grover, Percy, come on," I said, shadowing Thalia's footsteps towards the exit. They followed behind us reluctantly, scared of the bodyguards I assume.

"Oh and by the way, your backpacks," Obama said, leading the way out. He nodded towards two of his bodyguards, who had backpacks in their hands. We each took our own and slipped it onto our backs.

"Sweet." Thalia grinned as she pulled out a black cylinder. She squeezed it, turning it into her electric spear. I didn't think that was a good idea, since the mist would probably make the mortals see a machine gun or something.

Just as we passed through the exit doors, about twelve vicious hellhounds turned their heads towards us. They were about thirty feet away, but we could hear their growls loud and clear. Two of them charged at us as the others stayed back and watched.

Thalia thrust her spear through the first one, making it explode to dust. The second one was cut clean in half by a bodyguard's sword.

The remaining ten snarled at us even louder. I was about to take out my dagger to help, but then Obama started to open his suitcase. I watched in curiosity as he pulled out… a miniature version of the American flag?

What's this guy think he's doing…

I watched, wondering what the Hades was going on, as Obama held the flag out and started to twirl it in front of him. But then I saw it.

The rest of us watched in amazement as the flag shifted into a three foot long missile launcher.

Obama smirked at us. "Like it? It was a present from Mom when I became President."

"Holy Zeus," I muttered. All I got was a crumby invisibility hat.

"Damn," Thalia said, approving of the weapon.

Obama aimed at the charging hellhounds, and with a click of the trigger, a large tennis ball shot out and bounced down the hall.

"…A tennis ball?" Thalia said incredulously. We watched as the hellhounds gazed at the flying neon sphere with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. The tennis ball flew over their heads and bounced somewhere in the left hall. With a happy bark, the hellhounds chased after the ball and disappeared from our sight.

"Well, that was convenient," I said, continuing down the hall. A body guard blocked my way with an arm.

"Not yet," the President said. I turned my questioning gaze on him and waited.

_KABLAM!_

A wall of fire shot from the left hall and flew straight down into the right hall. I jumped back a little bit from the rumble in the floor.

"Nice one, Mr. President," Grover said with a small smile. Obama somehow returned his weapon back into a flag and put it back into his suitcase.

"Thank you, Grover," he said with a smile. Thalia and I exchanged a glance with a raised eyebrow. Who knew the President could be so awesome?

It didn't take long to find our way out. Obama happened to be some super expert in jail breaks, so in no time, we were outside breathing the fresh air.

"Ahhhh," Thalia sighed. "It feels so nice to be outside of that hellhole."

"We weren't even in there for that long," Grover mumbled. That earned him a glare.

It was nice, after all, to be out of that condemned cell.

Suddenly, a faint ringing that sounded suspiciously like the national anthem buzzed through our ears. Obama dug through his pockets again and pulled out a black flip phone. He clicked a button that made the ringtone stop, and then he held it to his ear.

"President Obama here," he greeted.

I shifted on my feet nervously. The silence stretched on as Obama listened to the voice on the other line. I looked over at Percy, who was standing awkwardly by himself. He had large bags under his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was a black haystack. He looked absolutely terrible.

"Right now?" Obama asked into his phone. Everyone else was studying the view of the outside world in silence.

I walked over to Percy and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with that same broken eye. Despite my best effort to stay still, I flinched away from him. I immediately regretted it because Percy returned his gaze to the ground and turned away from me.

"Percy, I—" I started, but I stopped myself when I saw his tears drip silently to the cement floor. I mentally slapped myself across the face for being such a bad friend. Just when I was about to finish my apology, I was interrupted again.

"Okay. See you in twenty," Obama said. He flipped his phone shut and dropped it back into his coat pocket.

"What was that all about?" Thalia asked. She turned her spear back into its cylinder form and stuffed it into her jacket.

"I have to get back to my office, I'm afraid. You four will have to get to Montpellier somehow," the President said. He looked towards the large black limo parked against the curb.

"Wait. So you're leaving us? With no transportation?" I asked. Montpellier is way south of France, and it's going to take weeks, or months even, to walk there. Now, if we had a private jet—that would be a different story.

"Pretty much. Yeah," Obama shrugged. He and his bodyguards made their way to the limo. "Until we meet again, Annabeth," he called out. And then he shut the door and rolled up the black tinted windows.

We all watched in disbelief as the black vehicle pulled onto the road and disappeared down the street.

"Un—be—lievable," Thalia growled. She crossed her arms and glared at the floor. Grover sniffled miserably, only because he didn't get an autograph or even a lousy picture. Percy was quiet the whole time, though his tears were all dry now.

"Percy, look. I'm really sorry," I said, ashamed. Percy didn't look at me. I sighed to myself and ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

"How are we getting to Montpellier?" Grover asked. He looked dead tired, just like the rest of us. The sky was darker than ever. It was maybe four AM at the most. The sun would rise in an hour or so. That gives us some time to eat and clean up.

"We could take a plane—" Thalia said, but then she remembered the reason why we were arrested.

"What about a train or something?" Grover suggested. "They have that here, right?"

I stared at them sadly, my lips pursed. "Even if they do, I don't think we have enough money to make it all the way down there."

We all sighed in defeat. There was nothing else we could do except find a place to eat or begin walking.

We chose to eat.

"What about there?" Grover said, pointing at a café with a large bakery inside. We were walking down the streets of Paris, trying to find something that we all liked. The aroma of the café reeled us in. It smelled of croissants, chocolate, and other mouthwatering pastries.

After ordering, we all sat down in twisty chairs around a white table. It was pretty empty at this time, but it was nice to have some peace and quiet. I propped my elbows up on the table and rested my face in my upturned palms.

"Hey Thalia, do you think Zeus would give us some sort of transportation?" I asked. My eyes were drooping from the lack of sleep. Thalia was quiet for a moment.

"I don't think so, Annabeth. He's probably real busy right now," she answered with a frown. I nodded to her sadly as the waitress came over and handed us our food. I didn't know what I got, but gods, it tasted great.

Grover didn't order anything. Instead he pulled out a soda can and started munching on it. Pretty soon, we were all stuffed and letting out happy sighs.

"That hit the spot," Thalia said with a smile. She leaned back into her chair and rubbed her stomach.

I let out an unintentional burp that was too loud for my own good. My cheeks turned red in embarrassment, making Thalia and Grover laugh even harder.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Annabeth," Grover teased. A new giggle joined in. It sounded childish, happy, and brought a warm feeling in my stomach. I couldn't help but smile at Percy, along with Thalia and Grover.

"Say," Thalia said after we all stopped laughing. "Why don't we try to find a train? We could go as far as our money will take us, and then continue on foot."

I peered outside, through the glass window of the café. The sky was barely lit, the smallest fraction of the sun peeked over the mountains. Some of the city was awake, either taking morning walks or going to work.

"Sure," I said. I got up from the table and threw my trash away. Grover held open the door for us as we left the café. He waved goodbye to the waitress and then caught up with us down the street.

"I think that waitress winked at me," Grover said, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever you say, Goat Boy," Thalia joked, patting him on the head. Grover muttered to himself as we continued down the sidewalk. We walked by a large billboard with pictures of people near the Eiffel Tower.

"I'll never get to see the Eiffel Tower," I sighed to myself, frowning. Here we are, in Paris, and we don't have time to visit the most beautiful tower in the whole world. I looked around for a map of some sort, but to my misery, I found none.

"Perhaps you need some assistance," a voice said behind us. All four of us jumped in surprise and quickly turned our heads to meet the eyes of a stranger.

To be honest, he looked like a homeless man. His face was covering in dirt and who knows what else. His clothes were torn and full of holes. He was wearing sandals, which wasn't at all good because they gave us a pretty nasty view of his jagged toenails. He smiled at us with crooked yellow teeth as he pushed up his gigantic glasses with an index finger. His glasses were so big, it covered half of his face. And jeez, who knew glasses come _that_thick.

Thalia turned her body all the way and looked at the man up and down in disgust. "What's it to you, Lens Crafter?"

I covered my mouth with both hands, nearly choking on my own sea of giggles. The man looked taken aback for a second, but then he regained his posture.

He frowned at Thalia. "That's not very polite, little sister."

We were all dead quiet as the man stepped back behind a wall. A bright golden light flashed, lighting the streets, and then it dimmed and faded. From behind the wall, a young man about the age of seventeen stepped out towards us and waved.

"Oh—I-I'm so sorry, Lord Apollo!" Thalia stammered, her eyes widening at the incredibly hot sun god. Even though she had joined the Hunters and gave up boys forever, a faint pink crept onto her cheeks. Her blush turned much darker when he flashed a smile at us.

I said something real smooth like, "Uh buh—duh…"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it!" Apollo cheered happily. "I just wanted to, you know, help you guys out," he finished, smiling wider. His teeth were so white, it nearly blinded me. He pulled out his keychain and clicked it, making a car parked right in front of us flash its headlights.

"You're going to let us ride in your sun chariot?" Grover asked, his eyes gazing at the bright red four seater. I didn't know what the car was called, but it looked pretty darn sweet.

"Of course! Anything to help," Apollo insisted with a grin. He started walking over to his car like a male model. The four of us following behind him in a daze.

"But aren't gods supposed to… not interfere?" I asked cautiously. His warm eyes flashed to me, making my cheeks burn.

The question didn't seem to bother him. He slipped into the driver's seat and said, "Well, I wouldn't call it 'interfering.' More like helping," he said, shrugging.

I stared at him with an eyebrow raised. It meant pretty much the same thing, but I wasn't about to tell him that. Thalia took the passenger seat, forcing Grover, Percy, and me to share the back seats. There were only two seats in the back, so Percy had to lie down over us. He rested his head in my lap, while his legs were draped over Grover's.

I shifted uncomfortably as Apollo turned the ignition on. Thalia looked kind of sick when we lifted into the sky. She clutched at her seatbelt with one hand while the other was covering her mouth.

"To Montpellier, I assume?" Apollo asked, raising a sexy eyebrow in the rearview mirror. I would have sat there and drooled over him all day, but then I remembered I had a quest to finish.

"Yes," I said, my voice all shrill and weird. Grover turned his head to hide his snickers, but I heard them anyways. I glared at him silently as we soared through the sky.

"How long will it take, Lord Apollo?" Thalia asked. She kept her eyes forward and tried not to look down.

Apollo gazed up in thought. "Probably not that long. Though, you guys should rest up anyways." He shifted his eyes in the mirror until he was staring at Percy. "Dreams are a good thing, you know. Confusing at first, but it helps you realize things." Apollo shrugged and returned his eyes to the sky, leaving us to wonder what he meant.

I looked down at Percy, who was staring back up at me. His eyes were halfway closed, and with every blink he got closer to falling asleep. But he kept fighting it. I could tell he wanted so badly to shut his eyes, but he continued to force them open.

"Percy," I whispered. "Go to sleep." I hesitantly ran a hand through his hair to help him relax.

"No sleep," he mumbled. His words were slurred from exhaustion. He shook his head weakly.

"Please, Percy," I insisted in a calm voice. Percy shook his head again and dropped his gaze. I sighed quietly. "Fine."

Percy took his victory in silence and stared out of the window. An unexpected tear trailed down the side of his face. I wanted to ask him what was wrong. I wanted so badly to fix it—to make him smile again, but I just knew he wouldn't tell me.

I did the least I could do and lifted a hand to wipe the tears from his cheek. Percy didn't seem to mind. He took my hand and held it against his face, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I continued to play with his hair with my free hand and stared into the clouds.

About ten minutes later—I couldn't be sure—we drifted down from the sky and parked right next to the sidewalk.

"Welcome to Montpellier!" Apollo sang loudly. He raised an arm and swept it across the air dramatically, showing us the view.

"Wow," was all we could say. Ahead of us was the ocean, trashing against the cliffs. The sky was bright and the clouds were white. Old couples were walking together, hand in hand, as bikers rode down the street. Cars made their way through intersections and children crossed the streets on their way to school. The buildings were amazing—the design, the colors, the structures, everything.

"Well, the pier is that way," Apollo said, pointing somewhere to the right. "I've got to go now, before Zeus finds out about this and blasts me into nothing," he said with a smile.

I didn't recall telling him that we needed to go to the pier, but I guess gods know everything. We all waved goodbye as Apollo stepped into his sun-car and drove off into the sky. I was about to ask a tourist for a map, when Grover caught his breath.

"Hey… Guys…?" he said. He pointed a shaking finger to something in the left. We all followed his gaze and saw the pier. It wasn't that far from where we were right now. Many boats were docked on the pier, but one stood out the most. It was large and white, with a sculpture of a woman chained to the front of the ship.

"The Princess Andromeda," I gasped. Thalia's eyes widened as she took in the cruise ship. It looked the same as it had the last time I've seen it: a white hull more than ten stories tall, and its name written in large black letters.

"What's it doing here?" Thalia demanded, speaking my thoughts. Athena needed me to go here, to see something. And the Princess Andromeda is it. But how could Percy say it was safe? Unless he meant… Ugh, I don't know!

"I don't know," Grover said, "but I don't like where this is going."

It was quiet for a minute. Each of us was trying to accept the fact that Kronos was barely one hundred feet away. He couldn't have known we were coming. Athena wanted me to get on the ship and find out as much as possible… I think.

"We've got to get in that ship," Thalia said firmly. Grover let out a bleat of fear. Heck, I was scared too, but I sucked it up and nodded.

"Let's go," I said, clenching my fists.

We took about twenty minutes to get there, only because we were trying to work up the courage to sneak into our enemy's headquarters. Grover's hands began trembling as we stepped onto the wooden dock. I tried my best to remain in the shadow from the ships along with the others. Pretty soon we were looking up at a ship as tall as a building in the city, and trust me, it was huge. I quickly located a service ladder that was near the side of the hull.

I looked at Thalia and Grover. It was clear to them that none of them wanted to go first, so with my backpack over my shoulders, I began to climb. About a minute up the ladder, I gazed below me and saw Thalia's head. I didn't try to look under her, because I did, I would've fell.

My arms were starting to cramp, but luckily, I finally reached one of the floors. It was the same maintenance deck that Percy and I had climbed up to during our quest for the Golden Fleece. The only thing different was the many piles of yellow lifeboats and orange life vests. There was a set of double doors about thirty feet away from side of the boat, but they were locked.

"Hurry," I whispered at Thalia, who plopped onto the deck with a loud thud. We quickly helped Percy up, and then Grover.

"Haven't they heard of elevators? Sheesh!" Thalia grumbled, wiping sweat from her brow. We each took a second to catch our breath, only to catch it again—if that makes sense—when something banged against the double doors. I let out an embarrassing squeak in surprise.

"Hide!" Thalia commanded, grabbing Grover and ducking behind a pile of life boats. I followed her example and dove to the floor with Percy. My heart beat louder as the silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

Then finally, a lock clicked and the doors flew open. It was quiet, except for the faint steps that were getting closer to us. They stopped suddenly, but then another noise crept into my ears. It sounded sort of like slithering.

"When do you expect their arrival, my lord?" a familiar voice hissed. It… It couldn't be.

I peeked over the life boats quietly. My eyes widened at the face of Mildred the dracaena. There's no way she could be back so fast. No way…

"They will be here soon enough. All we need to do is wait, and then we could carry on the plan," another recognizable voice chuckled.

My eyes shifted to the man next to her. I bit down on my tongue to keep myself from screaming, causing tears to fill my eyes. There, standing next to Mildred, was Luke Castellan.

He looked the same as always. The scar from his first quest was forever imbedded in his face. His sandy hair was longer than I remembered. His eyes… His eyes were the same gold in Percy's, only his irises were fully gold. It was no longer the deep blue I missed seeing. But Luke was gone… It was Kronos now. Luke, my childhood friend, was gone forever.

Beside me, Percy peered over and let out a gasp that could be heard from ten feet away… which was exactly how far Kronos was standing from us. His golden eyes flickered across the room until they bored right into mine.

"Well, well. A little earlier than I expected," Kronos said, smiling.

Immediately, Thalia and I jumped to our feet and withdrew our weapons.

"Stay back, Percy," I ordered, but Percy wasn't listening to me. He had a goofy smile on his face and was practically jumping up and down in excitement. My head whipped back and forth between Percy's expression and Kronos's in confusion.

And that's when Percy sprinted towards the titan.

"Percy, no!" I yelled, clutching his arm. He ripped away from my grip and continued to run to Kronos. We all watched, eyes wide, as Percy held his arms out and grabbed him in a big hug.

Percy looked up happily, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Thalia's mouth hung right open, emitting a choking noise. Grover's lower lip was trembling. My eyes were wide with fear as Kronos raised his hand over Percy's head.

But he didn't knock Percy out like I thought he would. Instead, he ran a hand through Percy's black hair and smiled.

"Daddy!" Percy cheered enthusiastically. He squeezed Kronos even tighter and nuzzled under his arm.

Thalia, Grover, and I stood in stunned silence. My dagger shook in my hands.

I managed to make my mouth move, though the word sounded strangled on my lips. "…_Daddy_?"

Kronos smiled back at us before returning his gaze to Percy. He ran a hand through Percy's hair again. Kronos had a mask of friendliness right under that fake smile. This wasn't the smile you'd get from a job well done. This was a smile full of evil.

He opened his mouth to say two words—two words that made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. Two words that gave me a cold, icy feeling in my gut. Two words that made me wish we were never on this ship.

"Hello, son."


	6. We Meet Percy's Daddy

**Chapter 6: We Meet Percy's Daddy**

* * *

It was silent. The only noise in the room was the faint sound of waves thrashing against the side of the ship. I didn't have the words to speak. I didn't know what I could say to this. My brain attempted to process everything I was seeing. The way Percy was so comfortable in Kronos's presence… He shouldn't be happy to see Kronos, let alone hug him. Grover seemed to be trying real hard to understand the situation like I was. Luckily, Thalia's mind hadn't been completely blown up yet.

"Percy," Thalia said. The deadly edge to her voice made Percy shrink back behind Kronos. She paused for a second, trying to collect her violent thoughts. "Just tell me… What the _HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"_ she exploded, jabbing an angry finger at the cowering demigod.

Kronos let out a dark chuckle. "My, my, Daughter of Zeus. Have you not learned any manners?" He put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Clearly, he does not see any harm in greeting his own father. Do you, son?"

Percy shook his head obediently, but with a grin. At this point, I could finally move my mouth.

"Percy, he is _not_ your dad!" I nearly yelled. I hit Grover on the arm to back me up.

Grover stumbled over his words for a second. "Uh—yeah, I mean… There's like, no resemblance!"

Percy seemed to take this in very slowly. He turned around and looked at Kronos up and down and seemed to realize it was true. Kronos didn't look phased at all.

"Nonsense! He has my smile," Kronos said. He flashed another grin that leaked evil. Percy returned a crooked smile that wasn't even close to Kronos's.

"Percy, don't be stupid!" Thalia growled. "Come on, we're leaving. _Now_."

"B-but, _Thalia_," Percy whined, making her name sound ten times longer than it actually was. He stomped his foot stubbornly.

"_Now_, Percy," I insisted sternly. My eyes flickered to Kronos. He was wearing a smug smile, and that confused me. "Come on!"

Percy pouted some more, but nodded and hugged Kronos. "Bye bye, Daddy."

I breathed out a relieved sigh as Percy turned and made his way towards us. Kronos didn't even try to stop him, which was strange. I held out my hand for Percy to take it, but when he reached for it, Kronos spoke up.

"No, son. They're dangerous," Kronos stated. Percy's hand froze midair. "That's right. Do not listen to them. Stay here," Kronos continued with a wicked smile.

"Percy?" I whispered cautiously. His eyes turned towards me, but he wasn't seeing me. He seemed to be looking right through me. I tugged on his sleeve warily.

"Kronos, what—" Thalia began angrily, but she stopped herself when a violent shiver rippled through Percy's body. Blood trickled down his cheek, but he didn't say anything. I stared at Percy and saw something flicker in his eyes. Grover bleated uncomfortably as he whipped his head back and forth between Kronos and Percy.

Kronos's golden eyes seemed to be glowing brighter than usual. I took Percy's face in my hands and tried to snap him out of whatever Kronos was doing to him. Percy stayed frozen in place. His pupils were widening and shrinking like he was in some kind of trance.

"Percy?" I repeated, panicking. I wiped the blood from his face with my fingers.

"I…" he breathed, dazed. His eyes were still somewhere else.

"Come, Perseus. You do not belong with them," Kronos purred. The corner of his mouth turned up, the smug smile returning. "You belong here. With me."

Suddenly, Percy straightened up. His hands fell to his sides. "Yes, Father," Percy answered. His voice sounded different, older. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it was the normal Percy. Fifteen-year-old, teenager, seaweed brained Percy.

Percy shook his head stiffly, like he was trying to empty his mind of something. The black haze that was settled over his eyes disappeared. The golden cracks in his left iris extended passed the pupil. Before I react, Percy turned on his heel and broke away from my grip.

"Percy, stop!" I shouted, trying to clutch his arm. Thalia grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back roughly.

"Thalia—" I protested, but she shushed me. She lowered her lips to my ear and spoke so quietly, it could barely be heard over Percy's footsteps.

"Don't. He's using mind control."

Thalia returned my confused expression with a look that said, "I'll tell you later." Grover made his way towards us, nearly chewing his whole lip off.

"Now, son. Why don't you go play with Fluffy?" Kronos suggested when Percy flanked his left side. "He misses you terribly."

"_Fluffy_?" Thalia asked, wrinkling her nose at the name.

Percy squealed in excitement, the child in him breaking free again. "Yay! Fluffy!" Percy clapped his hands together and giggled. He passed the double doors and sped down the hall without so much as a single look at us. Mildred, who had been watching from the sidelines, followed behind Percy reluctantly.

Then it was just Kronos and us. As soon as the double doors shut, Thalia cracked her knuckles.

"Just what the hell did you do to Percy?" she spat. Grover and I backed her up with death glares at the titan.

Kronos looked back at us innocently. "What did I _do_? I merely showed him that I was a better father than that pathetic sea god."

Thunder roared outside of the ship.

"Oh really? Why would you even bother?" I said. My clenched fists shook from anger.

"That is a really stupid question coming from a daughter of Athena," he said. He smirked when I growled at him. "Why else?"

"What do you want from Percy?" Grover demanded. Despite his best efforts to look brave, he couldn't stop his knees from shaking in fear.

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" Kronos laughed to himself. Grover huffed in annoyance.

"You'd better tell us, before I get mad," Thalia growled. I could already see her hand twitching towards Aegis.

Kronos made a face of mock-horror and gasped. "Oh no! What_ever_ will I do?" He threw his head back and let out a playful chuckle. "Oh, that's right. I can just do this." Kronos looked straight at us and snapped his fingers.

Before any of us could react, something whizzed through the air behind us. I was hit in the back by something and fell to the ground. A stinging pain flowed through my body not two seconds later. I breathed in the smell of the wooden floor as I struggled to move. Two thuds followed soon after, along with groans. I turned my head and saw that Thalia and Grover were sprawled on the floor next to me.

"What…" I mumbled, but my lips were turning numb. I reached behind my back slowly and felt a something close to a syringe. It took all of my strength and effort to pluck it from my skin. Thalia tried to do the same thing, but her energy was draining fast. I dropped my hand in front of my face and examined the object tight in my grip.

I would've cursed right then and there, but I couldn't move my lips. Thalia managed a weak glare at the tranquilizer dart I was holding. Grover was right behind her, knocked out already.

"I knew this would come in handy," Kronos's voice said. I didn't look up at him—not that I could, anyway. After the sounds of a couple of faint footsteps, shoes entered my view. They were raggedy old winged shoes, just like the ones Luke had given Percy a couple years ago.

My vision blurred. Thalia's face became nothing more than smudges and spots. The sound drained from my ears. My eyes were closing slowly, but I fought to keep them open. Thalia had gone under already.

I was aware of being dragged down a familiar hall. I stared at my own shoes as someone pulled me by my shoulders. I wasn't going to black out. No, not now.

My body swerved left, down a darker hall. I passed by white doors with numbers over them, but I couldn't read them from my dyslexia. Some doors I was dragged by were cracked open. Monsters with arms and legs varying from two to ten stared back at me. My body turned one more right, and then I fell flat on my back.

My carrier left me in a dark room, lit by only a single candle. I couldn't see his face, but I could've sworn he was smiling. The door closed shut on me, leaving me with me to fall into unconsciousness.

I woke up to the feeling of something hitting me in the leg. It continued on until I started to get really annoyed.

"Would 'ya stop?" I grumbled to no one in particular. My words were slurred together, like I had just won first place in Mr. D's wine drinking contest. Not that I would participate, anyway.

When the hits wouldn't stop, I groaned and painfully flipped myself over to glare at the dark figure lying next to me.

Thalia looked back at me with her eyebrows knitted together. "Surry," she apologized, her lips as numb as mine. "Had'ta way 'kyou up."

"Yeah. Yerra heavy sleeper," Grover mumbled at me. He was somewhere to my right, but I was too exhausted to turn my head towards him.

"Tranquilizer gun," I groaned quietly. My cheek pressed against the cold ground when the strength to hold up my head left my body.

"They suck," Thalia agreed miserably. I sighed in unison with them, trying to figure out a way to escape. There was nothing in the room at all. Maybe like a box or two at most, but I don't think I'd have the energy to get up and check inside them. Curse Kronos.

"Thalia?" I called. I tried to nudge her but I couldn't feel my arms.

"Mmhm?"

I turned my head again and stared into her stormy blue eyes. "What di'ya mean by 'mind control'?" I asked.

Thalia closed her eyes and sighed. "It's a powerful ancient spell that was s'posed to be forgotten long ago. But apparently Kronos has good memories."

I waited for her to continue.

"The spell involves two different people linking their blood. I dunno how Kronos did it, but he can make Percy do whatever he pleases, s'long as Percy has Kronos's blood inside of him."

"But today, when Kronos controlled Percy's actions. Something wasn't right. Shouldn't Kronos be able t'make Percy do anything, right away?" I asked. I chewed on my lip and replayed the scene in my head.

"You're right," Thalia said, giving me an awkward nod.

"Then why did Percy hesitate?"

"Maybe it's b'cause Kronos didn't do the ritual right?" Grover suggested. I turned my head towards him and stared at his worried expression.

"It's possible," Thalia said, opening her eyes again. This time, they were filled with… fear?

"_But first see things are not as it seems_," I said, repeating the third line of the prophecy.

"Well, this isn't what it seems, all right," Thalia muttered.

"Wait a minute," Grover said weirdly. "The next line of the prophecy… Percy's dreams are what got us here, right? So then Poseidon needs to help him."

Thalia made a noise that sounded like what you'd hear in a game show when you got something wrong.

"Gods can't interfere, remember?" Thalia reminded him in a bitter tone. "Plus, he's probably real busy doing Big Three stuff."

"Poseidon couldn't possibly have sent those dreams to him. It was Kronos!"

Thalia stared at the floor and said, "Maybe, Grover."

Grover looked up at the ceiling with an expression I couldn't identify. I could tell he still had faith in Poseidon. I wish I could say the same.

I started to think quietly to myself. If Kronos did do this… this spell, then he has full control over Percy. But if he didn't do it right like we believe, then there's still a chance to save him. But why would he want Percy on his side?

I gasped out loud. Why hadn't I thought of this before? Urg, I'm stupid—even for a daughter of Athena! "Stupid—So stupid," I grumbled to myself.

"What?" Thalia mumbled. Grover inched closer to us so that we were in crooked triangle.

"Kronos…" I began, holding back my frustrated tears. "He's using Percy to control the Great Prophecy."

I watched as their eyes widened. Thalia gasped. I could almost hear the clicks from her brain as she pieced everything together.

"Why hadn't I seen this sooner?" Thalia whispered to herself. She clenched her hands and brought a fist down to the floor. "It all makes sense now…"

"If—If Kronos didn't do the spell right, then we still have a chance, Thalia," I said desperately. My eyes furrowed together as I watched her sigh.

"Even if the spell is incomplete, it's too late unless…" Thalia stopped, shaking her head slowly.

"Unless what?" Grover asked. She didn't answer. "Thalia?" he pleaded.

"Thalia, the spring can help Percy," I said. Thalia continued to shake her head.

"The spring doesn't work for spells as ancient as this one, Annabeth," Thalia answered. I dropped my eyes to the ground in defeat. "I've only heard of one cure for this spell. I don't know what it is, though. But I'm pretty sure the gods know it."

"So there are… two things wrong with Percy?" Grover asked, looking kind of ashamed for asking. Thalia and I looked at him with sad eyes and nodded. "Just making sure," he said, chewing on his lip again.

"First, we need to get to the spring to reverse Hebe's curse," I started. Thalia and Grover nodded. "Then, we need to make it to Olympus." The two of them nodded again. "And then we need to have the gods bless the spring water."

"Then we make Percy drink it," Grover added, tapping a finger to his lips in thought. It was my turn to nod.

"After Percy's cured from Hebe's curse, then all we need to do is ask the gods to free Percy of the ancient spell," Thalia finished.

But there's the Kronos problem. We can't do any of those things unless we get off this ship. All we can do is pray for a miracle to happen. Perhaps another rescue boat with a thermos full of wind. Or maybe even a ship full of dead sailors lead by Clarisse. Or how about—

"So how in Hades are we getting outta here?"

I pursed my lips at Thalia's question. I've always wondered if Hunters had the ability to read minds, but by the confused look on Thalia's face, I really doubt it. One thing's for sure, we had to get out of here. But unless there's some kind of secret passageway to Narnia, I don't think it's possible.

I was just about to tell her that we were screwed, when I heard a voice buzzing from somewhere in the room.

"Do you guys hear that?" Grover asked for me. We all looked at each other and tried to listen closer. It was a lucky thing that Grover's a satyr, since they have some sort of superhuman hearing.

"Where's it coming from?" Thalia asked, pushing herself up with her arms. We both watched in amazement as she got to her hands and knees and started crawling around the room.

"You can _move_?" I asked. I was kind of jealous of her right now, because I had a huge wedgie and I couldn't move my arms to pick it.

Thalia winked at us. "Hello? Daughter of Zeus here," she said, poking herself in the chest for emphasis.

I rolled my eyes at her. Of course, she was one of the most powerful half-bloods of the century. Grover's ears suddenly perked up.

"It's coming from behind the big box. There's a vent," he said.

Thalia crawled over and pushed the cardboard box out of the way. Sure enough, there was a small opening that was big enough for both of my arms to pass through. Thalia bent her head and started to listen in. I could only hear the faint buzz of voices from my human ears.

"Thalia!" I hissed. "I want to hear, too," I said, frowning. Thalia stayed still for a few more seconds until she crawled over to me, rolling her eyes. I smiled at her innocently as she hugged my body and pulled me to the vents.

"Grover? How 'bout you?"

"Nah, Thalia. I can hear just fine, thanks," he whispered back, trying to focus on the voices like I was. Thalia nodded and bent her head to the vent. It was silent as we tried to make sense of the mumbles.

"—what do you mean no?" I think Kronos's voice asked.

"Needle is scary," a childish voice squeaked. It was Percy, no doubt.

"It isn't so bad," Kronos continued, trying to hide his irritation. "It will only sting a little."

What will sting a little? I raised my eyebrows at Thalia. She looked like she knew what Kronos was talking about, but I was clueless.

"Ooo, a butterfly!" Percy's voice gasped in amazement.

A noise that sounded a lot like a face-palm followed after, along with frustrated groans. I almost felt bad for Kronos—I mean, what's worse than a five year old kid with ADHD?—but then I realized this was buying us some time.

"Perseus, please. Focus. Why do you not want to do it?"

There was a silence as someone's foot tapped against the floor impatiently.

"We'll be closer than ever," Kronos promised, still trying to persuade Percy to do whatever.

The same silence stretched on for a long moment. Thalia and I exchanged a worried glance. What's he talking about? Does he mean the ritual?

Kronos sighed. "Would you like it if Mommy was here?"

Mommy? Oh gods, don't tell me Rhea is on this ship, too...

Percy hesitated, but asked, "And Annabess and Gravy and Thally, too?"

All three of us stiffened at our nicknames being said.

"If I bring them, will you do it?" Kronos sounded more than happy to finally get a deal.

"Yes!" Percy cheered. I could almost see the smile in his voice.

"Good. I will go get them now, then. Stay here," Kronos insisted. Shallow footsteps continued on until it was nothing but silence.

I pulled back from the vent and stared at Thalia with frightened eyes. "They're coming!"

"Listen, I'm going to pretend to still be paralyzed. When I see a chance, I'll take it, okay?" Thalia said. Grover and I nodded slowly. It's almost rare that any of Thalia's escape plans ever worked, but we had to take a chance here. We got into our sprawled positions on the floor and waited for them to come.

My hands rested limp in front of my face. There was dark red blood on my right hand. It was dry now, but it gave off an irony scent, with the slightest hint of the sea. My right hand clenched tight, hiding Percy's blood from me.

I let my eyelids fall to rid myself of the image, but to my disappointment, it was forever lurking behind my eyes.

I waited for them to come for us. I had to make a plan. If we managed to get a hold of Percy, then we could just climb back down the ladder and run for our lives. After all, we were still docked at the Montpellier pier. That'll be good then. Once we're off this ship, then all we need to do is get to Rome and to the Trevi fountain.

My mind was a million miles away when the door slammed open. I flinched at the sudden bang. Three demigods invaded my view as they stepped into the room. One of them had sandy colored hair and the other two had brown hair. They looked about fifteen, but their height matched an eighteen year old. The sandy haired one smirked and grabbed my arm.

"Lord Kronos wants you three on the deck," he said, hoisting me onto my feet. My legs were still numb, but I could move them. I decided to pretend I couldn't walk just to give him a hard time.

"Aw man, James, can't I have the blonde?" the tallest brown haired one asked the guy holding me. I looked at him in disgust as he wiggled his eyebrows at me. Behind him, Thalia was already being lifted by the other brown haired guy. She had a murderous expression on her face. Clearly, she didn't like boys touching her.

James sighed. "Matt, just get the satyr."

Matt frowned, but then it turned into a smile. "Hey, Nick…" he started, looking at the brown haired one who was holding Thalia.

"No, I'm not letting you carry her," Nick said simply. Nick put his arm around Thalia's waist and helped her out of the door.

Matt turned his eyes towards Grover and frowned. James shrugged, and then lifted me off of my feet and carried me out of the door wedding-style.

"So… If Kronos doesn't kill you today, baby, my room's on the fifth floor," James said, giving me a wink. I was _this_ close to slapping him right across his grinning face, but I knew I had to let him think I was still paralyzed. Instead, I groaned internally and rolled my eyes.

I peered over James's shoulder and watched as Matt struggled to follow us with Grover hanging in his arms. Thalia was right behind Grover, shuffling on her feet as Nick tried to guide her with an arm around her waist.

We were two halls away from the outside deck when I noticed three lumps on the ground. I squinted into the dark corners.

Our backpacks!

A fraction of my invisibility cap stuck out from between the zippers. I stared at it for a second before returning my gaze to Thalia. She nodded silently. I needed to get my hat. Matt and Nick weren't paying any attention to me, so I thought this was a perfect chance.

James was humming to himself as I waited for the right moment. We were five steps away from the backpacks when I jabbed my finger into James's pressure point. It was risky, since he would only black out for a couple seconds. When he collapsed, he dropped me and sent me rolling to the backpacks. Matt and Nick propped Thalia and Grover against the wall as they rushed over to James. My heart was beating as I unzipped my backpack as quietly as possible and yanked out my invisibility cap. In my back pocket was my knife, which was weird because Kronos should have disarmed us before putting us in that room. I guess he thought we would be too paralyzed to do anything.

"Yo, James. You all right?" Matt asked. He watched as Nick shook James's shoulder roughly. James got up, groaning.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I haven't eaten all day," he muttered.

Did he just cover for me? Surely he would've known that I did that to him. Or maybe all boys are this clueless.

My eyes darted to James, who was rubbing his neck gingerly. He was about to turn towards me and see my hat. He couldn't see my invisibility cap. He'd tell Kronos everything.

I did the only thing I could do. I stuck my hat into my jeans and pulled my shirt over it. I panicked, okay? James's eyes trailed down my body and stopped at the noticeable bulge in the front of my pants. His raised an eyebrow.

"On second thought… My room isn't on the fifth floor," he said uncomfortably. He continued to stare at it until I covered it with my hands.

"Can we go now?" Thalia asked, making her words sound as slurred as possible. She was still leaning against the wall next to Grover. The boys looked at each other and shrugged. We all partnered up again. James lifted me off the floor and tried not to stare. He kept his eyes straight ahead until we were out onto the deck.

The sun pointed directly into my eyes, causing me to squint in order to make out the two black figures in front of us.

"Put them down," the figure in front of us instructed. James set me down on my feet and held my waist for balance, which I didn't like at all. My eyes adjusted to the sun in time to see Kronos smile at us. I looked to my left. Waves surrounded us and stretched on as far as my eyes could see. The sky was on the brink of sunset.

"You remember me, don't you, Annabeth?" the second figure asked. I nearly jumped back five feet when I met the eyes of a familiar woman. Her hair was in curls that cascaded down her back. She was wearing a perfect smile on her face, one that I would never forget.

Behind us, the quiet sound of metal clinking together rang through my ears. I flinched as I felt the sharp tip of celestial bronze press against the small of my back.

At that moment, there were three things I was positive of.

One, we were no longer at the pier of Montpellier.

Two, Kronos was never going to let us leave.

And three, we were stuck on this ship with Circe.


	7. Son of a Witch

**Chapter 7: Son of a Witch**

* * *

Circe stepped forward with the smile still bright on her face. Her skin seemed to be radiating a strange glow, but it could've been my eyes fooling me. I looked to my right. Thalia was staring at Circe with a fierce look, like she had encountered her before. A gust of wind sliced through the deck and caused my hair to lash at my face. I continued to stare at the sorceress, never removing my eyes. She couldn't be trusted.

"Long time, no see," Circe said. Her smile widened a little bit. "I know what you are all thinking. What am I doing here?" She laughed. "Just helping an old friend of mine."

"What, you mean Kronos?" Thalia asked with disgust. Kronos cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows.

"Indeed. Without Circe, I would have never been able to do it," he said.

I switched my attention to Kronos warily. "Do what?"

"Oh, you will find out soon enough," Kronos answered. The mysterious glint in his eyes told me that he was planning something devious, I was sure of it.

Thalia narrowed her eyes at Circe. "I thought you hated men, Circe?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But Kronos has promised to make me queen once Olympus falls. And I could turn the male gods into guinea pigs for my own amusement." She chuckled softly. I shuddered at the thought of Zeus as a tiny, enraged rodent.

"Yes, come now, my queen. Your beauty is wanted elsewhere," Kronos said, gesturing towards the room near the pool. He ran a hand down her arm, which made me crinkle my eyebrows in disgust.

Circe let out a girlish giggle. "Oh, you!" And then she bounced off, passed the pool and into the room. Kronos turned his eyes from Circe to us.

"You see, I had some help from Circe." Kronos shrugged, like making a crazed, evil sorceress his eternal queen wasn't so bad.

Thalia spoke up. "For the spell." She made it clear that it wasn't a question. Her stare was as cold as ice.

"I see Artemis did a nice job teaching her little helpers," Kronos said, dangerously calm.

Thalia's face twisted into a wild scowl. I thought she was going to blast him right then and there, but she somehow controlled herself. For all Kronos knew, we were still numb from head to toe. We couldn't let him know that we had an advantage to getting off this ship.

"You're trying to control the Great Prophecy," I accused, narrowing my eyes.

Kronos's winning demeanor didn't falter. "Am I?"

Thalia almost threw her hands up in exasperation. Instead, she said, "No Styx!" like it was obvious.

Kronos pursed his lips and shrugged. "Maybe I am."

Maybe? Why else would he want to control Percy? For power? To raise him? The thought of Kronos raising Percy as his son made me want to throw up. What else could he gain from Percy, besides controlling the Great Prophecy? Is he going to bargain with the gods?

The door of the pool room cracked open. Circe's head stuck out of the crack. "Lord, it's time," she called.

"Coming, my queen," Kronos answered back. He turned back to us and smiled. "This way, if you will." Kronos walked off into the direction of the room.

I didn't have time to refuse, because a celestial bronze sword tip dug into my back and forced me to move forward.

"Ow! Watch it!" I hissed.

"Sorry," James whispered from behind me. I didn't look at him. I glared at the floor as we made our way to the room.

As soon as the door flew open, cold air crashed into my face. It was dark inside, that's for sure. I had to try real hard to avoid tripping over my own feet. Once Thalia, Grover, and I were inside, the door slammed shut, sealing us in the dark. My eyes were almost adjusted to the lack of light, when I heard a low click. The blinds creaked open, blinding me once again.

"Hi!" squeaked a childish voice. Something hugged me around the waist as I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust my eyes. I pulled back and stared into a pair of bright green eyes. But the connection didn't last long.

"Son, are you ready?" Kronos asked. He was waiting across the room by Circe and a chair. In his hand was a syringe filled with some sort of gold liquid. My eyes widened as Percy nodded and stepped towards him.

"What did you… What did you do to him? What're you going to do with that?" I demanded, my voice shaking. My eyes were fixed on the point of the needle as Kronos twirled it in his hand.

"May I, Lord?" Circe asked. She exchanged a glance with Kronos, who nodded. "Very well," Circe said. "If you want to know what happened this badly, then so be it."

Circe looked at each of us for a moment before she snapped her fingers. The sound echoed off the walls and bounced into my ears.

And then everything went black.

At first, I thought Circe killed me, but then I realized that wouldn't be logical. For one thing, I know what Hades's domain is like, and this wasn't it. My vision started to brighten. The first thing I realized was that I was in the same room. It was the same scene as before, only, next to Kronos was—

I nearly choked on my own gasp. There, next to Kronos, was Percy. He was bound to a long table, strapped down by his wrists and ankles. I could see him struggling to get free. He had a half-crazed look in his eyes as Kronos towered over him with something in his hands.

_No!_I tried to scream, but nothing was coming out of my mouth. My eyes darted around the room. The blinds revealed no light, which meant it was nighttime. Thalia and Grover were still next to me, only I couldn't hear them. They were mouthing something at me, but I couldn't make it out what they were trying to tell me.

"What do you want from me, Kronos?" Percy growled. My eyes turned huge as I heard Percy's voice. This wasn't the five year old Percy. This was… this was _Percy_. Percy, the one of the prophecy. Percy, the son of Poseidon. Percy, my best friend.

When Kronos didn't answer, Percy started to thrash against the restraints. Circe began muttering something in ancient Greek.

"Now, Perseus. Why don't you be a good little hero and stay still?" Kronos said. He brushed back the bangs from Percy's face.

Percy snapped his teeth at Kronos's hand. "What are you doing with me? You know I'll never join you!"

"Yes, but I have other ways to make you, whether you like it or not," Kronos answered simply. Percy glared at him, but soon his eyes turned wide when Kronos showed him a familiar syringe. It was full of that same gold substance.

I whipped my head back to look at Thalia, who was looking right at me.

"The spell," she seemed to mouth at me. Terror flooded her eyes, and I probably looked the same as she did.

That's when I knew where we were. Circe was showing us what happened before Percy washed up on the shore at Camp Half-Blood. She was showing us what Kronos did to him.

Percy was staring at the syringe, his face pale. He was shaking his head back and forth slowly, a desperate attempt to stop Kronos. Percy's eyes drifted to where I was. He blinked before mouthing my name.

I held my breath. There was no way he could see me. This was a vision for the gods' sake!

Kronos let out a chuckle, not noticing my presence. "I have to say, Perseus—if it weren't for you, my plan would have never worked."

Percy returned his eyes to the syringe. "What plan?" he asked bitterly.

"Oh, just the plan that will make Olympus suffer for what they had done to me." Kronos offered a wicked smile as he positioned the syringe over Percy's heart.

Out of instinct, I tried to run forward to save Percy, but I couldn't move my legs. I had to remind myself that this was a vision, and what's done has been done. There was no changing it.

Circe continued to chant louder, but her words made no sense to me.

Percy glanced over at me again, and for a scary second, I was positive he could see me. The syringe was inching closer.

"ANNABETH!" Percy cried out. "Help—" he started, but his voice faltered as Kronos forced the syringe down and into his heart. "—me…" My own heart throbbed in my chest as Percy's eyes slowly fluttered closed. His breaths turned into short, shallow gasps.

It was silent for a second, until—_KABLAM!_

The door was kicked open and in flew a black Pegasus.

Blackjack!

The Pegasus whinnied in fear and flew to the center of the room to knock Circe over.

"What in the world?" Kronos yelled as Blackjack planted a kick on his chest, forcing him to fly back and hit the wall. The syringe was half empty as it fell to the floor and cracked. The golden liquid seeped into the carpet.

I watched as Blackjack ripped the restraints from Percy's wrists and ankles and hoisted his unmoving body onto his back. Kronos got up and growled, but it was too late. Blackjack flew out of the door, leaving a wheezing sorceress and a very angry titan.

A familiar snap clicked through my ears. The next thing I saw was the room turning three hundred and sixty degrees before stopping. I stumbled back uneasily and stepped on someone's foot.

"Ow," someone groaned from behind me.

I looked back to see James, and his other buddies with Thalia and Grover. Thalia had a strange expression on her face, almost as if she had just seen someone's death. I looked forward again, into the questioning eyes of Percy. Circe snapped her fingers again, and I flinched involuntarily. It didn't seem to affect anyone, except Percy. His eyes glazed over for a second, like he was in the middle of a daydream.

"Now you see," Circe started with a smile, "Everything would have worked right then, if it weren't for that good for nothing Pegasus."

"You can turn it into a guinea pig later," Kronos promised. Circe grinned at the thought. Kronos continued to explain. "It was a good thing he was unconscious when he rode off. All I needed to do was have Morpheus send him dreams that would lead him to right into the hands of Hebe." I gasped, but he went on. "And without realizing it, Hebe sent Percy right back to me when she threw him off her cliff. Convenient, if you ask me."

"He fell right into our trap. To turn him into a mere child and make him believe that he is the son of Kronos. And then we were going to raise him to bring Olympus crumbling down," Circe said, a triumphant smile planted on her face.

I cursed under my breath. I completely forgot about the minor gods that were on Kronos's side. The dreams were sent by Morpheus, not Poseidon. I made a mental note to apologize to Poseidon later.

"But fear not, it ends today." He turned towards Percy with the same wicked smile in the vision.

"NO!" I screamed, trying to run forward, but James held me back. Circe smiled at the agony in my voice.

I couldn't let Kronos inject that stuff into Percy. If he only injected half in the vision, then he would have full control over Percy once he gets the other half into his body. But there was still time. Kronos was too busy testing the syringe against his skin, making sure the liquid would come out correctly. I looked at Thalia and Grover.

"Now," Thalia mouthed.

I didn't need to be told twice. I elbowed James where the sun doesn't shine and grabbed my invisibility cap from my pants. _Wow, that sounded weird._James went down in pain as I pulled my hat over my head and blended into my surroundings. Behind me, I heard the distinct sound of lightning crackling in the room. I darted over to Kronos and gave him a good roundhouse kick to the chest and sent him flying back into Circe. I grabbed Percy by the wrist and tugged him away.

Percy shook his head roughly and blinked a few times. "Annabess?" Percy questioned as he looked at his wrist. I nodded out of habit, which was pretty stupid because I knew he couldn't see me.

"Yes, Percy, it's me," I said quietly. I peered over my shoulder at Thalia, who had already knocked out the two boys and was now dragging Grover to the door.

"Go!" Thalia shouted, pushing my invisible body towards the door. I took off my invisibility cap and tugged Percy along.

"What about Daddy?" Percy asked. He had a small pout on his lips, which made me feel the need to pinch his cute little cheeks.

"I'll explain to you later, okay?" I said, turning my eyes on the deck. The deck was surprisingly empty. There were no monsters, which was strange.

"Guys, our backpacks!" Grover reminded us, gesturing wildly at the hall entrance. We sped down the hall like marathon runners and grabbed our backpacks. It wasn't long before we were out on the deck again. We all searched quickly for an exit like trapped animals.

"How are we getting out of here?" Thalia yelled over the sound of the thrashing waves. I could only think of two choices. We could either use a life boat, or try to swim home. And I doubt any of us can do that, not including Percy.

"Fluffy," Percy said.

"What?" Thalia asked, an eyebrow turning up.

"Fluffy can help," he answered with a smile.

We all looked at him incredulously. What the heck is a Fluffy? If that's Percy talk for a private jet, then I'm all ears.

The three of us watched as Percy walked over to the pool's edge and clicked his tongue three times. I thought he looked like a complete weirdo, but then the water's surface began to ripple. Sure enough, out came two beautiful hippocampi.

"This is Fluffy," Percy said, gesturing towards the biggest one. "Oh, and this is his brother, Kevin." The one next to Fluffy whinnied quietly. "Say hi," Percy insisted.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Hi, Fluffy. Hi, Kevin." Grover and I followed Thalia's lead and said our hellos. I looked back and saw Circe scrambling out of the door, right behind Kronos.

"Percy," I said quickly. "Can they take us to shore?"

The hippocampi whinnied, so I took it as a yes. They swirled around in the pool as a gesture for us to get on. I literally threw Percy on Fluffy, just so I knew he was safe. Thalia held out her hand and positioned her fingers so that they made a gun. She pointed at Kronos and I swear, I thought I heard a click. Lightning blasted out of her fingertips and struck Kronos right in the chest. It sent him back into the room with a crash. Thalia sent another lightning-bullet thing at Circe, but she dodged it with ease. For the next shot, Circe wasn't so lucky. Thalia landed a bull's eye right on Circe's nose and caused her to wail in pain.

"Go, go, go," Thalia murmured, maneuvering us onto the hippocampi. I hopped onto Fluffy as Thalia and Grover rode on Kevin.

So here I was, on a hippocampus named Fluffy, in the middle of a swimming pool. The plan didn't seem so great right now, considering we had to either jump off the ship with Kevin and Fluffy, or somehow climb down the ladders with them.

"Fluffy, Kevin, go there, please," Percy instructed, pointing somewhere in the distance. The hippocampus whinnied and nodded. Strangely, they were descending into the water. I held my breath as my head went under, but I didn't have to for long. When we surfaced again, we were somehow in the ocean, about twenty feet away from the boat. I'll never understand sea creatures.

I didn't have time to think of another plan, because Fluffy blasted straight forward, away from the boat. I wrapped my arms around Fluffy's neck and held on for dear life. Percy was behind me, giggling as the sea spray splashed at his face. I looked through half-closed lids and saw Thalia and Grover screaming for Kevin to slow down, but Kevin seemed to be enjoying this.

This went on for about five minutes, but trust me, it seemed like five hours. Kevin and Fluffy finally slowed down. We were still going pretty fast, but the speed seemed to decrease by tenfold.

"Hey, Thalia? Grover?" I called when they drifted closer to us. Thalia made sure her backpack was stable on Kevin before she looked at me.

"Yeah?" Grover said for her.

I was thinking that there should have been monsters on the deck. Sure, there were some in the halls, but none of them even tried to stop us. Kronos didn't pull an alarm or anything that would attract the monsters to us. I'm sure he could've controlled Percy before we had a chance to take him. But why didn't he? Was it because he had underestimated us? No, he was smart enough to know we weren't rookies.

"Do you think Kronos—" I covered my mouth quickly as an attempt to stop myself. But the damage was already done. I slowly turned my eyes to Percy.

He was sticking his fingers in the water, creating ripples through the surface. He seemed to take a hint that we were all staring at him, so he looked up at us and offered a cheeky grin.

I exchanged a nervous glance with Thalia. She made a gesture with her hands, emphasizing the area around her left eye. Grover looked back and forth between us, and I could tell the three of us were thinking the same thing. Kronos's name didn't affect him like it usually did.

"Percy?" Thalia poked him in the shoulder to make him look at her. She searched for something in his eyes for a second, and then said, "Kronos."

I recoiled and leaned back against Fluffy's mane. I expected blood to squirt out of Percy's eye and hit me in the face or something. But nothing happened. He stared back with a confused expression.

Grover looked at me with worried eyebrows. I decided to test it again. "Kronos," I said cautiously, slightly raising my hand to protect myself from a blood explosion if I had to.

Percy looked at us weirdly. "Yes. Daddy."

"He's not your dad, Percy," I tried explaining.

I was about to tell him more, but Thalia mouthed, "Not yet." She gestured behind us at the Princess Andromeda still in view. With a slow nod directed at Thalia, I leaned forward and rested my head on Fluffy's neck.

I gazed at the mist that lightly caressed my face. The sun shone through it, creating a hypnotic rainbow.

Then, I had an idea. "Thalia, Grover! Do you have any golden drachmas?" I asked. Kevin drifted closer to us as they dug through their pockets. After rummaging through my own, Thalia held out a golden coin and pressed it into my palm.

"Who are you Iris-messaging?" Grover asked. He watched as the coin disappeared in the mist after I said a silent prayer to Iris.

"Chiron," I said. "Camp Half-Blood."

The mist shimmered. An image of a white centaur holding a bow and arrow appeared. He looked as if he was in the middle of teaching a class about archery.

"Chiron?" I called. The centaur immediately turned, his eyes wide.

"Annabeth!" Chiron smiled. "How are you? And how is the quest going?" He relaxed his arm and let his bow fall to his side.

"I'm fine. We just got off Kronos's ship," I said. Chiron didn't look surprised, but worried. "I'm fine," I repeated again. "But we know what Kronos did to Percy…"

Chiron's eyes turned huge. "And what it is he did?"

I hated to repeat all the bad things, but I finally got it all out. I told him about the gold cracks in Percy's eye, the spell, the ritual, and the weird gold substance in the syringe.

"That's not good. No, not good at all," Chiron murmured to himself. "Annabeth, in the syringe, was it a bright gold?"

I nodded warily. Chiron caught his breath, but he managed to control himself.

"The gold stuff—it's Kronos's blood, isn't it, Chiron?" I flinched at Thalia's voice, only because I had forgotten she was here. It made perfect sense, since Kronos is a titan and all.

"Yes, it is. That is how Kronos linked blood with Percy. This is not good," Chiron said, yet again. He paced back and forth from one side of the mist screen to the other.

"Chiron," I said. He stopped pacing and looked at me. "Is it… Are we too late?" It took all of my bravery to ask him. I really didn't want to hear the answer.

"Let me see Percy's eyes," he said.

I turned and tapped Percy on the shoulder, taking his eyes away from the water. He craned his neck passed me and waved at Chiron with a smile.

"Hi, pony!"

Chiron mumbled a quick hello, but he was gazing intently into Percy's eyes. He squinted slightly, trying to examine the golden cracks in his left iris.

Finally, Chiron pulled back and mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Three days," he whispered.

"WHAT?" I shouted. I clutched at my heart in fear of it failing on me.

"Chiron, that's impossible!" Thalia argued. "Three days to get to the fountain and then to Olympus? It's not possible…"

"There's no going back now. You have three days to do it. Three days until Kronos's spell is finished," Chiron said. He looked at our expressions with sad eyes.

"But Chiron! Kronos only injected half of the syringe into Percy. We stopped him from finishing the ritual," I protested. Sweat was building up on my forehead. My cheeks were flushed, and I swear to the gods I was about to start bawling like a little kid.

"You're right. If you had not stopped him, Percy would be under Kronos's command at this very moment. There's no way of stopping the process now. You have only delayed it."

I didn't realize I was hyperventilating until everyone stopped talking. Thalia ran a frustrated hand through her hair. I took my face in my hands and tried to steady my breathing.

"Chiron," Grover began uncomfortably, "what's happening to him?"

The question didn't seem to take Chiron off guard. It was like he was already thinking about it. He hesitated for a moment, but then said, "Kronos's blood is traveling through his veins, from the heart." He lowered his voice. "You can see it in his eyes. The golden cracks tell us that time is running out. Once they fully cover his iris, Kronos will then have Percy under his command."

"But… How come his right eye wasn't affected?" Grover asked. I've been wondering this for a while. I leaned in closer to the mist.

"As Annabeth had said before, Kronos had only succeeded in getting half of the required amount inside of Percy," Chiron answered, his eyes still troubled.

Thalia clenched her hands together. "But Percy can still resist, right? It happened before."

Chiron didn't seem any happier at Thalia's words. "It's possible to resist, yes. But as time passes, the will to fight back will slowly die. The titan lord is very powerful. Soon, Percy will not be able to control himself.

I dropped my head in defeat. There was one cure for this spell, but what was it? Thalia didn't know it. She said the gods might have known it, since they were here for a long time. But Chiron was alive for quite some time, too.

"Chiron, you know a cure to this spell, don't you?" My voice shook as it passed my lips.

Chiron didn't answer. He looked at his hooves and pursed his lips.

"Chiron, you know how to save Percy," I continued desperately. I watched as Chiron's face twisted in despair. He looked up at me with eyes to match and started to say something, but he was cut off by a robotic voice.

"_Please insert one golden drachma_," it said. We dug crazily through our pockets for change, to no avail. The mist image of Chiron soon faded away, and then we were alone.

I let out a sigh and covered my face with my hands. Thalia glanced ahead of us. There was still no land in sight, which was a bad thing.

"I'm going to get some sleep. We'll all need it," she said before resting her head on Kevin's mane. Grover drifted off to sleep soon after. I was tired, but I was afraid I would get dreams that showed me what was going to happen. Like on the plane ride, in the closet. That dream had been too real for me. I didn't know what it meant, until now. It basically showed me that we would fail to get Percy to Olympus in time. Either that, or Kronos would shorten our time by injecting the rest of the blood in Percy.

"Are you… okay?" Percy asked me from behind. He stuck his chin onto my shoulder and stared at my face.

I turned and faced him, my knitted eyebrows almost identical to his. I stared at his left eye. The gold had extended passed the pupil, only a few cracks away from his iris being fully devoured.

We had only three days to stop this. Three days to get to the fountain. Three days to save Percy.

"Yeah. Just fine, Percy. Don't worry about it," I said. I turned away from him and continued to stroke Fluffy's white mane. I expected him to leave me alone and go to sleep, but he did something that made my body tingle on the inside.

He hugged me.

I didn't try to break free from his grip, not because I couldn't or anything, but because he was just so _warm_. His arms were wrapped around my torso from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder again, so that his hair tickled my cheek. He smelled so much of the sea. It was strange, yet alluring to my senses.

I continued to enjoy the sea scent for the whole ride. By the time I saw a hint of land, the sky was already darkened. The sun had gone down, but the moon had yet to rise. The sky was an odd shade of purple and orange. I looked up at the sky and thought of all of the gods I knew.

_Please let us make it in time. Please keep us safe on our quest._

I closed my eyes and let out a loose sigh before waking Thalia and Grover up. Kevin whinnied in pain as a shock jolted through his body, but it could've been worse.

"Huh—wha?" Thalia mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. Grover let out a yawn, but it sounded something like _ahh-I'm-so-tired-I-can't-even-think-straight-ahhh_.

"Look," I said, pointing at the dark silhouette of the city.

"So are we going to get some rest at a hotel first or what?" Thalia asked. "Sleeping on a horse isn't that comfortable, ya'know," she muttered. Kevin made a noise of hurt.

"Yeah, sure," I said. I stayed silent for a few minutes, debating whether or not to talk about it. I decided I should. "Hey, guys?"

"Yeah?" Grover turned his head towards me and raised his eyebrows.

"Something that's been bothering me since we got off Kronos's ship," I started. Thalia made a gesture with her hands for me to get on with it. "Well, don't you guys think it was kind of easy? I mean, _too_ easy?"

I looked at my nails as they contemplated my question for a moment. Finally, Thalia spoke up.

"I was thinking that, too… But don't worry about it, okay? All that matters is that we're off that ship for good," she said.

I nodded glumly and peered straight ahead. I could make out the buildings now. They were huge, beautiful works of art. Some were lit by an orange light. Shadows of tourists danced along the building walls.

Thalia looked up and smiled.

"Land, ho."


	8. We Are Officially Screwed

**Chapter 8: We Are Officially Screwed**

**

* * *

**

"Why?" Percy wailed, clinging onto Fluffy's neck.

I groaned in unison with Thalia and Grover. We've been here for about ten minutes, trying to get Percy to leave Fluffy and Kevin so that we could go. The sky was dark; the traces of the sun had vanished. The moon was our only light source way out here near the waters. Thalia, Grover, and I were already standing on the dock, but Percy was still in the water, refusing to leave his hippocampus friends.

"Percy, come on. We'll visit them later, okay?" I said, praying to the gods that he would listen.

Percy's hesitation lasted for a long minute. His fingers ran through Fluffy's mane as he thought in silence. Then, he looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Promise?"

He sounded so heartbroken to leave his new friends. It made me feel like someone who just took away a little kid's new puppy.

"I--I promise," I eventually said.

Percy's eyes lit up for a moment, but they darkened just as quickly. He turned and gave Fluffy and Kevin big hugs.

"Bye bye, Fluffy." He sniffled. "Bye bye, Kevin." Percy reached his arms up to us, which we took. After heaving him up onto the dock, we turned and faced the dark water.

The hippocampi made a strange noise, probably horse talk for a farewell. After waving goodbye, the four of us watched as they swam off and melted into the water.

We stood in silence for a minute. The cool breeze brought the scent of the sea into my nostrils. My hair floated with the wind before gently settling back into place. To my right, Thalia let out a huge yawn.

"Well, are we going to get some rest or what?" she grumbled, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand.

I mumbled something incoherent in return and started off into the direction of light. We traveled in a daze, not really seeing things around us due to our extreme exhaustion. My eyelids continued to flutter and droop, but I fought to keep them open. About a minute later, we passed by a dark alley. I could've sworn I heard something growl at me, but it could've just been my imagination. When I looked into the direction it came from, there was nothing there. Maybe it was from lack of sleep, I don't know. The streets were empty and quiet, though a car would occasionally pass by and continue on its way.

Somehow, we ended up in front of a large hotel. It towered over us, more than ten stories high. The bright neon sign displayed some words I couldn't read due to my dyslexia. I looked back at Thalia, who was practically sleepwalking. She raised a lazy eyebrow and gestured for me to open the damn door already. After a couple moments of standing in exhausted silence, I turned and pushed open the door.

The second I stepped in, I was greeted with warm air and a friendly smile from a woman standing near a large desk covered in pamphlet holders and papers stacked into neat piles.

"Welcome to the La Griffe Luxury Hotel! How are you all doing tonight?" the lady asked us in a bright tone. She was wearing a casual sundress that went down to her knees, along with a cozy scarf that wrapped around her neck.

"We're fine," I said weakly as the four of us shuffled to the front of the desk. I looked at the clock just to the right of her head. It took me a while to read the time because I was beginning to see doubles. My vision was turning fuzzier by the second.

"Oh, dear! You poor thing!" the desk woman cried as she put a hand to my forehead. "You're burning up," she said, actually sounding worried.

"Yes, she's been really sick for days," Thalia's voice said from behind me. "But we don't have the money to stay in nice places like this…" By the tone of her voice, I didn't need to look at her to know that she was putting on a puppy dog face.

I looked up at the lady and though I couldn't see well, I could tell she was biting her lip, like she couldn't make up her mind. Thalia sniffled from behind me.

"Well…" the woman started. "I suppose my manager wouldn't mind…"

Score one for Thalia.

"Thank you so much. You're far too kind," Thalia said innocently.

The woman reached into the back of the desk and pulled out a plastic card. She took a moment to type something into her computer, and then she took my arm.

"Your room is on the fifth floor," she said with a smile.

As we made our way up to the elevator, I couldn't help but notice how empty it seemed. I guess it was because of how late it was. The woman stopped us in front of a door at the end of the hall. She slid the plastic card into the little lock thing, and immediately the light flickered to green. The door creaked open, and with a click, lamps lit up the room.

"Wow," was all we could say.

The room had four beds, king sized for the gods' sake. They were covered in soft blankets and big fluffy pillows. In one side of the room was a giant flat screen TV that probably cost about five grand, two long couches that fit three people each, and a round table with pamphlets and remotes laid on top. But that wasn't all. There was also these cool mini fridges probably stacked with sodas and food. Oh, and did I mention the mini kitchen?

"Well, you four enjoy your night," the woman said, handing me the room card. She continued to smile as she made her way into the elevator and back down to the lobby.

"Dibs on shower first!" Thalia grinned making her way to the bathroom with her backpack slung over one shoulder.

We each claimed our own beds and went to check out the rest of the room. It turns out one of the mini fridges was packed with chips and candy, so I grabbed a random bag and began munching on cheese flavored chips.

"Hey, turn that up," I said to Grover, who was watching something on the flat screen TV. I leaned forward from my seat on the couch and rested my chin in my palms. The TV displayed a few sights of the waters, and I managed to catch a glimpse of the Trevi fountain.

Grover clicked a button that made the sound increase.

"—evi fountain! A beautiful place to visit here in Rome," a voice said, though no body was shown. The TV continued to flash pictures of the fountain water with coins glowing in the sunlight. Tourists smiled as they tossed quarters and pennies into the water, not aware of the fact that their wishes were never going to come true.

Thalia came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel and sighing in contempt. Grover acknowledged her presence, looking away from the TV as pictures of statues were shown. I squinted at the statues, only because they were of a man that I almost recognized. I just couldn't place my finger on it. The statue of the man was surrounded by several… hippocampi?

When Grover turned his head back to the TV, all images of the fountain disappeared, replaced by a familiar looking hotel.

"And be sure to visit the _La Griffe Luxury Hotel_ just a few blocks away from the Trevi fountain!" the TV voice continued.

I nearly fell out of my seat. Thalia, who had been drinking a bottle of water, spit out a mouthful of the liquid and sprayed it all over Grover.

Grover sighed. "Ew…"

"Holy crap! That's the hotel we're in!" Thalia said frantically. She looked about ready to start dancing out of joy. I would have too, but I still had my dignity.

"Well, that was lucky," Grover said, trying to smile through Thalia's spit-water.

I grin stretched upon my face. We saved a lot of time, thanks to Fluffy and Kevin. They were sure to get us to Rome, and not some other weird place. That means all we had to do was get the fountain water tomorrow, and then figure out a way to get to Olympus as soon as possible.

Thalia let out a victorious cheer. "Guys, we might actually make it!"

After we calmed down some, Grover got up to take a shower. As soon as he finished, I washed up and changed into a clean shirt and some shorts. I pulled up my hair into a wet ponytail and clicked off the bathroom light.

"Percy, your turn," I said, taking a seat on my bed.

Percy looked up from his sprawled position on his bed. He gave me a small pout and said, "Nuh-uh."

"Oh, yes you are," Thalia interjected, placing a hand on her hip. "You smell, and my bed is right next to yours."

Percy didn't look offended. "Nope," he said simply.

Thalia's eyes narrowed slightly. "Grover, go start the water."

Grover scurried off into the bathroom, where I heard the sound of water filling a bathtub. I watched as Thalia and Percy stared each other down.

"Now, Percy. You be a good little boy and get into the damn bathtub," Thalia said quietly, yet threateningly.

Percy took in Thalia's slow advance with wide eyes. He shook his head and tried to bolt for the door. That would have worked if I wasn't standing right in front of it.

"Great, Annabeth! Now bring him here!" Thalia said, holding out her arms with a twisted smile. I almost felt bad for Percy, but then a sickening smell traveled up my nose. Oh gods, guys and their _body odor_. I happily handed a struggling Percy over to Thalia, but he was pretty strong.

Before Thalia had a good hold on him, Percy ripped out of her grip and made a mad dash for freedom. I dove to the floor and snatched the bottom of his jeans, pulling it so hard that he tripped and fell.

"No!" Percy wailed, struggling to pull himself upright, but I wouldn't have that. I continued to tug as he tried to crawl away. I got to my knees and began to inch backwards, taking Percy with me.

"Stop, Percy!" I said, grounding my teeth as I tried to hold on. "If you keep this up, your jeans will—"

The sound of fabric tearing interrupted me. I flew back into Thalia's leg, knocking her over.

"What the…" I started, but then I realized what I was holding. My face turned blood red.

"Way to keep it PG, Annabeth," Thalia said, snickering from behind me.

I looked over at Percy, who was patting his legs at the sudden coldness. He looked at me in confusion, and then shifted his eyes to the thing in my hands.

His pants.

"Oh my gods," Grover gasped, walking in on the scene. "What'd you guys do to him?" He frowned as he walked over to Percy, who was still enjoying the cool breeze.

I turned my eyes away from Percy's black and green heart boxers covered with white stripes—not that I was looking, anyway—and met Grover's frowning face. I pulled myself up and stood awkwardly next to Thalia.

"Come on, Percy. If you take a bath, you can have some yummy candy," Grover coaxed with a soft smile. He shot us a glare and held out a helping hand to Percy.

"Okay!" Percy said, taking Grover's hand.

Grover led him to the bathroom, leaving Thalia and me wondering about the strange nature of boys.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Thalia grumbled. She took a seat on the couch and began flipping through the channels angrily. "And would you get rid of those already? Jeez," she muttered.

I realized I was still holding Percy's pants, so I tossed them somewhere in the corner and went to wash my hands with soap. I walked over to one of the windows and gazed outside. The TV was right; I could see a tiny bit of the fountain sticking out from behind some buildings. The sky was pitched black due to the fog covered moon. Few streetlamps lit the corners of the fountain and illuminated black blobs. There were about ten figures, all of them seeming to circle around the fountain. I narrowed my eyes to a squint and tried to make out their faces. As I was doing so, one of the figures stopped. I caught my breath as they all seemed to turn their heads in my direction.

"What're you doing?" Thalia's voice asked, right next to my ear. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"N-nothing," I stammered, meeting her eyes. She stared back for a second before peering out the window. I looked back, too, but I realized the figures were no where to be seen. The streets were empty, and there was absolutely no one in sight. The figures were gone.

Thalia gave me a worried look. "Let's go to sleep, all right?" she said, putting an arm on my shoulder. I nodded reluctantly and let her steer me away from the window. I quickly went to make sure the door was locked, and then I leaped onto my bed. Thalia was already in hers, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey…" I said, pulling the covers to my chin. "Do you think Kronos will… y'know, make Morpheus do something to Percy while he's sleeping?"

Thalia's eyes widened a bit. "I didn't think of that," she said quietly. "I guess we could take turns keeping watch."

I nodded slowly. "I'll do it first," I said. Thalia looked at me with a weird expression on her face, probably thinking I was too tired to stay up for a few hours. I glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was already two AM.

"If you want to…" Thalia said. I nodded again, sitting up.

Percy came out of the bathroom moments later, with Grover right behind him. They each had deep bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. Percy hopped onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. Grover stopped at the foot of his bed and stole a glance towards me.

"You going to sleep?" he asked, getting under his covers.

I shook my head. "I'm keeping watch for a few hours," I said. Grover seemed to realize it was for the best and nodded. He turned the other way and snuggled into his pillow.

I decided sitting in a comfortable bed wouldn't help, so I got up and grabbed a can of soda from the mini fridge and plopped down onto the couch.

After watching a couple episodes of some weird drama, my eyelids began to feel heavy. Everyone else was happily snoozing away while I was being deprived of sleep. I turned my head to check the clock, but there was nothing there. When I say nothing, I literally mean nothing. I got to my feet quickly and turned around, my eyes darting everywhere.

Nothing.

The room had faded into a black hole of emptiness. I began to panic, flinging my arms everywhere, desperate to find something in reach.

"Thalia?" I called out, shaking. "Grover? Percy?" I took an unsteady step forward.

"Gone," someone murmured next to me.

I spun around and karate-chopped the air. "Who's there?" I shouted, trying to find some sort of light.

And then an evil cackle joined in. The sound seemed to echo in the distance. The lone voice multiplied, sending a wave of hushed whispers into my ears.

"Kronos," they seemed to say.

My blood ran cold as a path lit up the ground. I could see my body now, but I couldn't move my eyes from the boy in front of me. He had black hair and an orange shirt, standing about ten feet ahead with his back to me.

"Percy?" I whispered.

He turned around, a wild look in his eyes. "Annabess," he said, barely audible from where I was standing. I glanced at the darkness surrounding us. We were the only two in sight, and that was scary.

"Kronos," the voices continued to say. I could hear them more clearly now. The voices seemed powerful enough to make me think that they were coming from the mouths of the gods.

All of a sudden, a shadow flickered just behind Percy. His eyes widened as something clamped down onto his shoulders.

The voices continued to murmur into my ear, over and over. There was that evil chuckle again. The figure's face brightened, revealing the titan lord of time.

"Get away from him!" I yelled, bolting forward. I ran and ran, but I wasn't going anywhere. Percy stayed the same distance away from me, no matter how hard I was pushing my legs. It was like running on an endless treadmill.

"You can't save him, daughter of Athena," Kronos said, his voice coming out as a menacing hiss.

"Kronos," the invisible voices cried. "Kronos!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes growing big. Percy's left iris started to quiver, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Kronos—Kronos!" the voices wailed again.

_Crack!_

I sucked in a sharp breath as gold lines devoured the green in Percy's left eye. Percy stumbled backwards, clutching his eye with loose fingers. He gazed up at me as blood trickled down his cheek and onto the dark floor.

"Percy," I gasped. I reached a shaking hand to him, but it was a failed attempt at help. His golden eye stared back at me in shock. Kronos offered a twisted smile, the gold in his eyes identical to Percy's. Percy stood frozen in fear and pain as a river of blood continued to slide down his face.

"Too late, young demigod," Kronos murmured to me. He let out a ghastly chuckle before grabbing Percy and pulling him into the darkness. "Too late…"

"No!" I screamed, trying to run forward again. But Percy had already been dragged into the shadows. "_NO!_"

"—nabeth, calm down!" a girl's voice said to me. I was still screaming as I jerked upright. My breaths turned into short gasps for air as I took in my surroundings.

I was still in the room. This time, everything was lit. The TV was still on, flickering dull images of a couple walking on the beach. Thalia and Grover were sitting next to me on the couch, shaking my shoulders gently. Behind them was Percy.

"Percy!" I gasped, scrambling out of Thalia's arms. Percy looked at me. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell over. I grabbed him in a tight hug and pressed my face into his hair. He began sobbing uncontrollably.

"He woke up crying a second ago…" Grover said, trailing off, but I wasn't paying attention to him.

"It's okay," I whispered into Percy's ear. "You're safe now. Shh." I couldn't stop my own tears from falling. My heart was hammering against my chest, paranoia seeping into my mind.

What was that just now? A dream? It was far too real to be a dream, though. I pulled back and examined Percy's left eye. It wasn't fully gold like in the dream, thank the gods. I continued to gaze into the cracks, trying to find some sort of hidden meaning, but I found none.

Percy caught his breath and flinched. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the last blob of tears to drip down his chin. When he opened them again, my heart nearly died.

I watched as a golden crack painfully extended further passed the pupil of his left eye. It all happened in under a second, yet it was as if I was watching it in slow motion.

Two days.

I continued to stare wordlessly until Thalia began talking.

"What—what happened?" she asked. I stole a glance at her and realized she looked absolutely horrible. Her hair was in a messy disarray, her clothes were wrinkled, and the bags under her eyes had gotten deeper and darker.

"Bad dream," Percy and I said together. Thalia and Grover exchanged a glance.

"About what?" Grover asked, gesturing for us to sit down next to him.

After we did so, I let out a shaky breath and told them my dream, and how it felt so real…

"And Percy, you were in the same dream?" Thalia asked after a moment of silence. Percy removed his eyes from the hole in his sock and glanced up at the huntress. He nodded sadly, still a bit shaken from his nightmare. I couldn't blame him. I mean, it's only natural for you to be scared, knowing that you could never have a peaceful sleep without some maniacal titan lord threatening to kidnap you.

Grover cleared his throat. "What do you think it means?"

"A warning," I said automatically. My own eyebrows rose at how calm I sounded. "He's telling us that we're running out of time."

"And soon, Percy will be just a pawn," Thalia continued, her eyebrows knitting together. She sighed before placing her face in her hands. "The voices," she began. "Who did they sound like?"

I knew the answer to this all too well, but they were never going to believe me. "You're going to think I'm crazy," I said.

Grover shook his head encouragingly as Thalia stared at me head on. "Try me," she challenged.

I stopped chewing on my lip and stared at the brown carpet of the hotel room. "They sounded a lot like… the Olympians."

Thalia and Grover remained silent as Percy and I played with our fingers. I could already see them calling the nut house to come and take me away.

"Hmm…" Thalia hummed thoughtfully as she got up from her seat. "I think you're onto something, Annabeth." She began pacing around the room as Grover looked at her in confusion.

"Onto what, exactly?" Grover asked. Thalia ignored him and continued to mutter things to herself.

She barely reached the corner of the room when her head shot up. "Percy," she said, turning around fully to look at him. "Did Kronos say anything to you when he pulled you away?"

From the corner of my eye, Percy stiffened. He continued to watch the pictures on the TV, not really seeing.

"No," he said.

Thalia didn't remove her gaze from him. Something flashed in her eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. Doubt, was it? She finally took in his answer and nodded slowly.

I turned my head to the alarm clock beside my bed. The glowing red numbers indicated that it was six forty two AM. My body was still exhausted, but there was no way I was going to sleep after _that_.

Thalia looked out the window and took in the morning light. "I think we should leave now. We don't have much time," she said, scanning the streets below.

"You're right," Grover said, and we all stood up.

It didn't take us much time to get ready to leave. After we all brushed our teeth and packed, we were all set. I managed to "borrow" a few bags of candy and safely tucked it away in my backpack. I slid my dagger in my back pocket and pulled the bottom of my shirt over it. We all looked at the room in a sad, final goodbye and made our way down to the lobby.

The lobby was strangely empty, not including the bored looking fellow sitting behind the desk.

"Ah, I hope you had a good night," he said dully, taking the room key from my hand. "Good day to you."

We left without another word, into the coldness of the outside world.

"Well," I said, clasping my palms and rubbing them together to keep warm. "To the Trevi fountain?"

I remembered exactly where the fountain was. It was just a few blocks away, really. The sky was still a pale blue due to the wide layer of clouds towering over us. After about fifteen minutes, Grover stopped walking.

"What is it, Grover?" I asked, slowing my steps. His nose twitched as he sniffed at the wind.

"Monsters nearby," he said, his eyebrows wrinkling together. I turned around cautiously and scanned the area. There weren't a whole lot of people out at this time, just maybe a few dozen out for a morning stroll. None of them looked suspicious, though maybe the baby in that carriage was eyeing me in the wrong way.

We continued walking to the fountain, up until it was in full view, when Thalia grabbed us by the shirt collars and pulled us to the side. She maneuvered us into the shadows of the building just before the Trevi fountain.

"Thalia, what—"

But she cut me off. "Shh!" She moved her head slowly and peeked from the edge of the wall. I raised an eyebrow and waited patiently as Grover sniffed the air again.

Thalia pulled her head back and shared a look of confirmation with Grover. "Monsters," they agreed.

I peered over the edge as Thalia had and saw a crowd of tourists by the fountain taking pictures. They had casual clothes on, with cameras hanging like a necklace. Some were tossing coins into the fountain while others posed with their family for a group photo. The only ones who didn't fit were ten figures in dark cloaks. I should've caught the sight of them at first glance, but they were blending in with the shadows so well.

"Wait," Grover said. "We need to get rid of the mortals first. They might get hurt."

Thalia nodded and stepped closer to the edge of the shadows. She placed her fingers on her lips and started muttering something quietly in ancient Greek. Then she reached the same hand out in the direction of the fountain and snapped her fingers twice. At first, I thought she looked pretty silly because nothing happened, but then a sudden gust of wind passed through us, straight to the fountain.

The mortals were still at first, but then they turned their backs and started to leave the fountain in small groups. Eventually, all that remained were the figures in black. They continued to circle around the fountain, not noticing the absence of the people.

Percy tugged on my shirt sleeve. "Not good," he said quietly.

Uh-oh. The last time he'd said this, we were stuck on a plane with a dracaena. But the thing is, we knew there were monsters around here.

"It's okay, Percy. We just need to get rid of the monsters, and then we can leave, all right?" I said. Percy's eyes continued to cut between my face and the statue resting at the top of the fountain. I sighed at his worried look and pat his head comfortingly. "It's okay," I repeated.

Thalia held her hand up in the air to grab a silver bow that materialized out of nowhere. A black sphere shaped casket that held about twenty arrows was slung around her hips. I slipped my dagger out from my back pocket as Grover got out his reed pipe. I didn't tell Percy to take Riptide out, only because I felt safer when sharp objects _weren't_ in his hands.

Thalia loaded her bow silently and aimed for one of the figures. My stomach tightened nervously as the arrow whizzed through the air, but it had multiplied. Nine more arrows sprouted from the base and were flung at each of the figures. I waited for the arrows to knock them over, but instead, they harmlessly passed right through them as if they weren't really there.

And then something strange happened.

The figures stopped moving, and then suddenly, they were floating from the ground. I watched in disbelief as their body rose about ten feet up in the air, and then their bodies exploded.

Well, not exactly. It was more like their limbs were being ripped apart, but the strange thing was, the limbs were flying. That's when I realized they weren't limbs. They were black birds. Dozens of them circled the air above us as we ran forward, closer to the fountain.

"Stymphalian birds!" Grover gasped.

The birds let out a noise that sounded like glass breaking. They flapped their wings, causing sharp, metallic feathers to dart at our feet.

"Scatter!" Thalia commanded, sprinting off in another direction. Grover yelped and took off as another feather narrowly missed his head. I grabbed Percy by the arm and ran for cover.

Two birds swooped down and tried to grab a mouthful of my arm, but I slashed my knife at them. I managed to cut through one bird, but the other flew off.

"Don't let them poop on you!" Thalia's voice shouted. I looked over to see her shooting countless arrows at a flock of demon birds trying to eat her head off.

"What?" I yelled back, unable to understand where she was going with this.

She let loose another wave of arrows before she shouted back at me. "Their poop is toxic!"

A wet liquid dripped from a runaway Stymphalian bird, looking sort of like black paint. As soon it hit the ground, the cement began sizzling.

"Ah, crap!" I screamed. I barely had time to register the pun, only because I had to pull Percy back to keep him from getting his eyeball plucked out. Three birds came at me, screeching so loud I had to resist covering my ears. I pushed Percy behind me as the birds shot more feathers. I managed to dodge most of the projectiles, but a few managed to sneak their way around. Pain shot up from my right leg where it had been sliced. I raised my knife to defend myself, only to find out that I had been cut twice in the arm, too.

"Annabeth, watch out!" Grover yelled, throwing tin cans at the birds that snuck up behind me. I gave him a look of gratitude and limped over to him.

Grover put the reed pipe to his mouth and began tooting some loud notes that seemed to affect the birds. The ones that were circling Thalia instantly shrieked and flew to the center to meet the others. As Grover played louder, the birds continued to fly in a crooked pattern, until eventually, they exploded into dust.

I looked at Grover in improvement. "That was terrible!" I grinned. Of course, I meant the notes he was playing, but he took it the wrong way.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Thalia made her way towards us with only a few cuts on her. Grover had a huge gash on his arm, but it was nothing ambrosia couldn't fix. Percy was the only one who remained undamaged, and I was glad of that.

We looked at the fountain again. It was empty now, quiet. The water trickled just a few feet away, inviting us in.

"Careful," Grover said as we leaned over the fountain's edge. "If you get the water in your cuts, you'll be affected the same way you would if you drank it. And you know what that means…"

We all shivered at the thought.

I took out the "magical" thermos that Mr. D gave us a while back and uncapped it. Very carefully, I dunked the container in the water and filled it up.

"Well, that was easy," I said, capping the thermos and slipping it back into my backpack.

"So," Thalia joked, "where are those big, bad monsters that Chiron warned us about?"

I figured maybe the guards were using the bathroom, because clearly the Stymphalian birds weren't much of a match for us. I gave a small smile as Thalia beamed at us.

But the smile slipped off of my lips as soon as the water's surface began to ripple. We backed up quickly, watching as the fountain shook as if it were in an earthquake.

The fountain water swirled in a giant whirlpool, and sure enough, out came three heads, each the size of a house. The heads were scaly like a snake's, yet as scary as a dragon's. It rose way up high and towered over our heads. I had to bend my neck all the way back to look at their monstrous faces. Their snake bodies were thick and long, covered in black and green scales that pointed out in deadly directions. Their tails hovered behind them, spikes prickling from the base and ready to kill us in one swipe.

Grover's breathing was cut short as he gasped. "Leviathans… That's not possible…"

"T-three of them?" Thalia stammered, her eyes wide as she took in the image of the blood thirsty sea monsters. "From the water… how is that—possible?"

Just then, the clouds moved slightly, but it was enough. Sun shot through the entrance and pointed directly at something at the base of the fountain, something I've never noticed before. The plaque glinted, bringing my eyes to read the words inscribed on it. The English part made no sense to me, but I soon read the letters in ancient Greek under it.

I covered my mouth in shock. A noise that mixed between a strangled cry and gasp escaped my lips. Thalia turned her fearful eyes to me.

"What?" she asked, earning a loud roar from the middle Leviathan.

Pictures of the statue appeared in my head. I had read about the man before, but I was too caught up in the quest to realize it. His image flashed through my eyes, mocking me for not seeing this beforehand. His name was one I should have never forgotten, one I should have noticed long ago.

"What?" Thalia repeated, even louder.

The words were an inaudible whisper as it left my lips. "This is Oceanus's turf…"

They stared back at me with wide eyes, for they had not realized it, either.

As if by the sound of the titan's name, a wave erupted from the fountain and wrapped around Percy's unsuspecting body. I barely managed a desperate shout before he was ripped out of my hands pulled into the whirlpool of water that seemed like instant death.

"_NO!_"


End file.
